TRANSCRIPT: The Second Tale of Sodapop, Part 2

[Music: “Swamp Fever,” by Walt Adams]

Sodapop picks his way through a forest gone wrong. His shoulders ache a little, but he ignores it. His bad knee catches, but he shakes it off. 

Nearby, the thing with giant paws leads him up the hill again. Its footsteps send little electrical pulses through the dirt. They tingle when they reach his paw-pads. Sodapop tries to step over and around them, but their trajectory is hard to predict. 

Here and there, Big-Paws stops, tilts its head, and listens. Occasionally, it calls in a high, clear voice. Sodapop never hears a reply, but it seems this creature has a companion, or maybe even a pack.

The forest has grown uncannily dark, darker even than the room with black-out curtains where Lara sometimes sleeps. Distorted calls from changed animals echo through the night. The scent profile is dizzying. Big-Paws is the scent equivalent of a neon siren, a tangled mass of pheromones under a pungent sulfur smell. The bizarre, half-dead animals are almost masked by it, though he can find them if he concentrates. If Sodapop’s nose is to be trusted, night and day animals are out at the same time, and at least a third of them have been dead for weeks. If it doesn’t smell of death, it smells of fear. Sodapop has never encountered so many different kinds of fear.

While the big-pawed creature’s ultimate goal is unclear, it seems to want to protect the little dog. When it sees him cringe away from an underground pulse, it stops sending them his way. Instead, it turns its head toward him now and then. 

Once, a group of evil opossums draw near. It stomps its foot then, and Sodapop hears them shriek and run away. He follows a little closer after that.

Far above them, the sky begins to scream.

Before tonight, the worst sound Sodapop had ever heard was the low battery alarm on a smoke detector. The smoke detector is a horrible little creature that lives on the ceiling in Lara’s house. It lies silent for most of its life, but sometimes – usually when Lara makes dinner – it wakes up and screams. The low battery sound is shorter than the scream, but it is infinitely more painful. Its frequency pierces right through Sodapop’s brain. When he first heard that chirp, Sodapop shook all over, and he didn’t stop shaking until late into the night. Even after Lara took the smoke detector down, took out all its pieces, he still remembered the pain. It hasn’t chirped since she put it back together, but he’s careful of it all the same. That chirp is Sodapop’s greatest fear.

That is, until he hears the stars.

There is something wrong with the stars.

They appear in the sky as sickly bolts of light. As each appears, it begins to whine. The high-pitched sound blooms, rises, and falls, hits every discordant note across a thousand scales. The reverberations hit a pitch that Sodapop can’t even hear – but he still feels them, tearing through his eardrums, clawing at his eyeballs, rattling his bones. Sodapop screams, though he can’t hear himself screaming. He feels like he’s being compressed, every atom crashing into each other, then shaking loose only to settle closer, tighter, heavier. In desperation, he barks at his own body, at the attacker within and without. He cries for someone else to help him, and he cries in case it helps someone else.

Then there’s a ripple under his feet, and the sky goes quiet. Sodapop looks up to see the big-pawed creature by his side. It leans over and looks down at him. Its eyes glitter with broken moonlight. Everything smells like sulfur. Sodapop doesn’t mind.

It walks forward, and this time Sodapop stays very close, touching when he can. Its fur is rough, like uncut brush. He trembles at the sky. He trembles at the monster by his side. He is caught, he realizes. And he is so very far from home.

Suddenly, the monster stops. Its excitement fills the air around it, like static electricity. It lets out a piercing, rumbling roar. 

This time, another sound echoes back. Many sounds, actually. Rumbles, roars, cries. Big-paws has found its pack. 

They loom up out of shadows, differentiate themselves from thickets and grass piles. They could be bears, or they could be trees. Tall, mossy, human-like and plant-like and wild. They vary in size. The one who came here with Sodapop, which looks taller than any animal Sodapop has yet seen, might be the smallest one. It is the most like a human. The others take strange forms. One has antler-like growths sprouting from its head. Another has long, leathery flaps that sweep the earth behind it. All have four limbs, though. All have huge paws. All of them move both above and beneath the ground. 

By their sides, perched on their arms, following in their wake, are animals. Regular animals, alive ones, untouched by whatever decay has struck the other creatures of this place. Birds, field mice, furry things and feathery things and even a few scaly ones. They ought to be afraid of each other, but they’re too dazed, too exhausted. Like Sodapop, they can only huddle close and worry.

The tree-bear-beings move into a loose circle. They stand on their hind paws, whatever shape those take, and extend their front paws toward each other. Sodapop feels waves of energy pass between them. It’s electric, like before, but not uncomfortable. It pulses like a heartbeat.

Gradually, they begin to hum.  It’s a deep, rumbling note that drowns out the horrible screams of the stars and shakes loose muscles bound by fear. Sodapop looks around, and sees the other animals come back to themselves. He watches them relax. He looks up at the little big thing that brought him here. It glances down at him, its eyes soft. Then it looks to its companions and joins the hum.

Across the Beast-Ring, Sodapop spots a familiar spot of white-on-black fur. The Barn Cat is here, standing between the feet of a beast that looks like a giant pile of moss. She holds a kitten in her jaws. As he makes his way toward her, she sets the kitten down and cleans its ears. She pauses as he draws close, but a flicker of recognition runs through her, and she resumes cleaning. 

Sodapop sniffs them both. The kitten smells a little like the Barn Cat, but not much. It came from the same place, perhaps. But it isn’t hers. Still, she calms it. Then she turns back, toward the space behind the moss-beast. She twitches her tail, then plunges back into the darkness.

It’s still horrible out there. Sodapop can feel it. Everything is wrong, and the stars still scream. He moves to catch the Barn Cat, to call her back, but she’s gone before he can react. He looks at the kitten, tiny and forlorn at the feet of a mossy monster. He whines.

The Barn Cat darts back in with another kitten. Her hair is all on end. He can feel her frayed nerves, smell her pain and panic. Still, she licks the kitten once, sets it with its sibling, and races back into the forest again.

The kittens stare up at him with wide, frightened eyes. He sniffs at them carefully. The first kitten reaches up, tiny claws extended, and grabs onto his muzzle. He yelps and pulls backward. The Moss-Beast lets out a deep, subsonic grumble. Dog and cats freeze in place until it stops with a satisfied grunt.

Two more times the Barn Cat comes back with a kitten, sets it with the others, and runs away again. Each journey seems to hit her harder. By the time she gets back with the fifth kitten, smaller and stickier than its siblings, she moves slowly, like every joint hurts. Her hair sheds in tufts. She sets the tiny one with the others and leans against the moss-beast, exhausted. She looks at Sodapop, as if seeing him for the first time. Her ears twitch. He moves in and licks the kittens for her. The little one tastes like blood. Feline blood. Not its own.

It’s hard to say when Sodapop becomes aware that Lara is in trouble. The feeling creeps up on him, a tiny sensation running up his spine. He licks the kittens harder and harder until the Barn Cat steps between them with a hiss. That’s when he realizes how tense he is.

He pads back to the Big-Pawed creature, the young one who led him here. Young Big-Paws looks down at him. Sodapop whines. It seems to understand. It glances at the others. It moves one giant foot, just a little. Just enough to open a path to the outside.

Sodapop sniffs the air. He has to concentrate hard, as there’s a lot of interference now. The Big-Pawed creatures are overwhelming, so many of them all together emitting a series of pulses and pheromones. He pushes himself, though. Sulfur, electricity, mice, robins, crows, kitten, moss, sulfur, bat, kitten, squirrel, old dirt, new dirt, decay, water, life…a million scents accost him, and he presses past them all, sorts through them, looking for…

Nothing.

At the edge of this jumble of smells, there’s nothing. 

And deep inside the nothing, there’s a call.

It’s not a smell, or a sound, or anything else. It’s a force. A pull. The thing that pulls the tides, beckons waves to the shore and drags them back again. If it’s a light, then it’s a dull one. But it calls all the same.

He glances back at the barn cat. The kittens aren’t hers. But she still saved the kittens.

He looks up at the young Big-paw. It meets his gaze. He wags his tail. It nods.

The cacophony rushes back the second he leaves the circle. It takes all his senses with it. Sodapop can’t understand anything he passes. A group of elk fight over the carcass of a coyote. Bats slam into tree trunks, unable to hear themselves over the screaming sky. Everything smells of confusion, of fear, of blood.

Sodapop points himself at the nothing-smell and crashes wildly into the underbrush. He careens sideways, unmoored, like the time that a child tried to take him on a swing set and just kept pulling him back and forth. The nothingness is his beacon, a comforting bit of silence in this ocean of input, and he orients himself toward it. At its center is the urgent thing, the compulsion that pushes him on.

By the time he reaches the clearing, he is utterly confusing. The lifeless dirt feels like soft sand beneath his paws. The screaming stars blend with the voices of distressed animals and humans. To his overspent ears, they become a distant roar, the roiling of a lifeless surf. He staggers sideways, shakes his head, and searches again.

This time he feels it, a strange thump in his chest. He looks toward the center of this dead place. Past a sea of death and decay and panic lies the whole, entire world.

There is his human. And there is Lara. They are there together, very far away.

Sodapop summons the last of his strength and sprints. It takes everything he has to move in this place, but because he is a dog, he has everything to give. He runs. And as he runs, he howls at the moon.

Lara hears him first. Both of his humans are far away, somehow here and somewhere else. But when he cries, Lara turns. The movement is slow, dazed, but unmistakable. He leaps toward her outstretched arms, and in a moment, she’s only here.

It’s Lara who brings his human back. She reflects the human who is the sun, and she draws her from the darkness. His human wraps him in light, and for a moment everything is okay, even in this nightmare world. Sodapop helps Lara who helps Rose who helps Sodapop, just as it ought to be.

When his human rises, she is the brightest thing in the night. She throws a lantern into the center of the nothingness, and the monsters burst into flame. Lara is cool against the ensuing fire, her arms secure around his chest as she lifts him up and carries him away.

What follows after that is a blur. Sodapop falls asleep in the backseat of another car. When he wakes up, Mom has him. She is kinder than she was before. She gives him treats and takes him to a groomer, where he gets even more treats. The groomer picks at his paw pads and pulls at his matted hair. He hates this. But when the groomer finishes, Sodapop feels better than he has in days. This is most likely a coincidence.

Time passes slowly, until one day Mom takes him somewhere new. It’s a strange place, with slick floors and a bitey, antiseptic smell. She hurries him down the hall, though he wants to stop and sniff at everything he sees, and ushers him into a room. There, on a bed, is Rose. He knows that she is called Rose, because the humans keep saying it over and over. For the first time since he can remember, she seems happy. She is at peace. She smells of medicine and still carries hints of the forest, but she is well. He licks her face, and she laughs.

At the edge of her bed is Lara. Lara shrinks away from Mom, who touches Rose’s hair. Mom takes care of Rose, he thinks.  

Mom leaves the room so his humans can talk. He doesn’t know the words they say, but for once the tone seems soft, kind. 

As they talk, Sodapop watches Lara. She compels him, somehow. He’s never noticed that before. He feels her movements. There’s such comfort to her presence. She is quiet, and cool, and not always easy to read. But mostly, she is alone.

Sodapop thinks of the barn cat, watching the kittens that didn’t smell like her. He thinks of the big-pawed monster that saved him even though every instinct said that they should fight. He thinks of the ocean – the real ocean. He thinks of the moon and the tides.

The humans go quiet, and he knows they’re going to move apart again. This is the way of them, it turns out. Perfect pieces that never seem to fit. 

When Lara moves, Sodapop wants to follow. She needs him, he realizes. And he is a good boy. A good boy goes where he’s needed.

For the final time, his human envelops him in warm, healing light. She says something in a sad, determined voice. She sets him on the ground. Then Lara walks out the door, and Sodapop follows. Like the tide. Like a beacon in the night. 

They step out into the parking lot, and Lara lets out a shuddering breath. She stares into space for a long, quiet moment. Sodapop nudges her leg with his nose. Lara looks down at him and laughs.

Everything, he knows, will be okay.

The end. ‘Bye now.

[Outro song: “Dear Moon,” by Velvet Moon]

SEVEN OF HEARTS PROMO TRANSCRIPT

VOICE

Are you alone? Are you sure? Anyone could be watching, waiting…you wouldn’t know, would you? No, of course you wouldn’t.

Pause

ZACH

Still smoking, I see

ALEX

Still acting like I give a damn about your opinion.

Pause

CARM

There’s…nobody here. Nobody here, just…my imagination.

Pause

SAL

Look, you either need to leave me alone, or show yourself, because I’m not doing this.

Pause

VOICE

You don’t even know what’s coming. Don’t worry, I promise, in the end, it will be quick.

Pause

CARMIN

You really don’t see anything wrong with making a coke and mentos volcano in the dorm bathroom. Really?

SAL

No.

CONNOR

Nope.

TRANSCRIPT: The Second Tale of Sodapop, Part 1

SURPRISE! Happy Halloween! This feed has once again been quiet for much longer than anticipated, but I do want to reassure you all that the show is not going away. I am currently neck-deep in final script development for season 2, so keep an ear out for production announcements early next year. I also have some interviews with experts and other bonus content to help fill the time.

For now, please enjoy this story, which retells the events of episodes 6-10 from the perspective of Sodapop, world’s greatest dog. This story picks up right where the last Tale of Sodapop left off, so if you’re not familiar with that story – or with the events of season one of Believer – you might want to go back and listen.

My amazing Patrons are getting the entire story right now. They will also get a bonus non-Believer story in the next few weeks. If you’d like to join them, along with brand new patrons Sara Norris, The Beldam, and Justin Cone, you can find out more at Patreon.com/believerpod. 

And now please enjoy, The Second Tale of Sodapop, Part 1 - written and read by me, Julie Saunders.

THE SECOND TALE OF SODAPOP

On a little bed inside a broken room, a little dog watches the sunrise. The room’s outer wall is full of cracks and gouges that sharpen the sunlight into lines, blades of light that pierce the musty air. The streaks of sunlight form a dizzying pattern, a series of lines across the exposed wood floor. The lines cross and converge to a point at the center. There sits a human, her back to the dog, her unkempt hair lit like a halo. She traces the sun-lines with a sharp blade, deepens the scars in this crumbling bedroom. As she carves, she hums.

The human calls the dog “Sodapop.” Sodapop doesn’t call her anything. She is simply there, simply his, and so she never needs a name. She is his human.

Last night, Sodapop found his human lying near the top of a hill. She seemed like she was asleep, but her eyes were wide open, staring into a sky without stars. He licked her nose until the warmth came back to her fingertips and she laughed. That laugh rippled through him, spread from his ears to his wagging tail, and everything was okay again. Sodapop followed her down the hill as if they’d never been apart. After all, when the sun comes up, you don’t marvel at its return. You just get up and go about your day.

Halfway down the hill, they met Lara. Lara was Sodapop’s human’s human – or at least, she used to be. When Sodapop’s human left, Lara had taken care of him. But he didn’t need Lara now. And so when they reached the creaky old house at the bottom of the hill, and She walked inside without Lara, Sodapop followed. She called this place home. What else could it be?

The rest of the house is not broken. It’s just this room, the one with all of his human’s things in it. There are two other humans in the house. One is named Mom, and she doesn’t seem to like him much. Mom is afraid to come into the broken room, though. And there’s another human with a raspy voice, but that one never leaves the study. So in the broken room, things are quiet. 

His human sits on the floor, tracing lines in the floorboards. She hums something to herself. Sodapop huddles on the bed. He doesn’t want to touch the lines. He watches her.

He can’t tell if she’s really here or not. Well, she’s here. But her body responds to something else. When She tilts her head, or looks off into the distance, or when the soft chemicals that tell her nerves what to do gather and respond – it’s to something else. Something Sodapop can’t seem to find.

He watches, and he watches, and he watches. But he was out in the woods for a very long time. There were no naps during his long day and night in the forest, just terror and excitement. Here, where he is – well, not exactly safe, but certainly settled – he feels the adrenaline drain out of his body. His head grows heavy, and his eyes get narrow. Before he knows it, he’s somewhere else too.

Sodapop often dreams when he sleeps. His dreams are not usually complicated. Most are just moments – a familiar scent, the sight of a squirrel running, the evening breeze through an opened door. Bits and pieces. This dream is different.

In the dream, Sodapop stands on fine, silver sand. The sand stretches in every direction, farther than he can imagine. And somewhere ahead of him, he hears a huge body of water. It’s not the ocean. Sodapop has been to the ocean. The ocean has birds, and saltwater spray, and laughter. The ocean smells like sunscreen and fish guts. This place smells like nothing. At least, at first.

Slowly, a scent creeps up on him. It’s Her scent, just like it was in the forest, except instead of cutting through the night like an arrow, it seeps in from everything at once. Sodapop turns around and around in the fine, soft sand. It’s as if she’s everywhere and nowhere at the same time. 

Sodapop runs, but every direction is the same. No matter where he goes, he’s always running toward the ocean that isn’t an ocean, and he never gets closer to its edge. Always, he can smell his human, and always, she’s just around the corner and a million miles away.

Finally, he sees her. She sits with her back to him. She draws something in the sand – long, tangled lines. Sodapop runs toward her, but his paws slip on the sand and he falls. He opens his mouth to bark, but something steals the air from his lungs. He feels himself crying, whining, howling into a vast expanse of nothingness, but no sound leaves him. It could be hours that they sit there, Sodapop stuck in the sand, his voice gone, while She never turns around. It could be days. He can’t move, he can’t cry, he can’t – 

He wakes to find her face very close to his. Her skin is flushed, her eyes wild. Sodapop yelps, but she quiets him, runs her fingers along his neck, reassures him that he’s safe.

The door to the room is open, and from the hallway he can smell fear. A potent, piercing mix of sweat and racing blood, with a pheromone mixture that stabs at his brain. Something bad has happened. He starts to get up, moves to charge out into the hallway and right whatever’s wrong, but She shushes him again. 

She does not smell of fear. But something is still wrong. He presses his nose to her mouth, her nose, the top of her head. How did she leave without him noticing? Where has she been? There are no clues forthcoming.

She buries her face in his fur. She starts to whisper. He doesn’t understand the words she says.

When she finally lets him go, he struggles out of her arms and bursts into the hall. The house is unnaturally quiet. He sniffs for Mom and the raspy man. The raspy man is gone. Mom is…yes. Mom is the one who was afraid.

The front door is open. The people must be outside. Sodapop rushes out to investigate.

There, on the lawn, is Lara. Sodapop feels a rush of relief when he sees her. Lara is like a water bowl – something you don’t really notice until it’s been missing for a while. He races across the grass and leaps up onto her legs. She reaches down and pats his head. 

Then Lara goes tense. She has come outside. His humans are in one space again. Why don’t they ever seem happy about that?

His humans say words to each other. One is angry, the other dismayed. Sodapop lets out a little sigh.

The most frustrating part of having a human is the language barrier. Humans have a whole host of mouth-sounds they make, and only some of them seem to mean anything important. Meanwhile, they miss every physical cue. Most of them think there’s only one kind of tail-wag. You practically have to scream to get them to understand your meaning.

Sodapop sniffs at the bushes and the grass, an age-old way of signaling that everything is fine. “This is how much you don’t need to worry,” the gesture says. “The grass is more interesting than either of us. We are so safe that we can be curious.” They ignore him. He tries the high tail-wag, then the low one. He whines. He even flops onto his back and exposes his belly. Nothing.

Instead, they do something incomprehensible. His human picks him up and hands him over to Lara. That part is normal enough. She pats him on the head. That’s normal too. But her voice…there’s something wrong with her voice. She’s sad again.

Sodapop watches her mouth as she talks, hoping he’ll recognize a shape even if he doesn’t know the sounds. All he can tell is that something is happening. It’s not something that he wants to happen.

And then Lara carries him away.

Sodapop tries to explain that this situation is wrong. He struggles in Lara’s arms. He wails toward his human. Has she noticed that he’s leaving? Does she know he’s not following her inside? “I’m right here,” his whine says. “I’m over here!” Like a puppy away from his mother. I’m here, and I need you, he cries. But the Sun sets into the house, and Lara clips him into a car harness.

They ride for hours down dark, bumpy roads. Or maybe it’s minutes. It’s hard to tell when you’re a dog. Sodapop whines the whole time. There’s a cranky man in the front seat who gives him dirty looks. He doesn’t care. This is worse than the last time that Lara took him away. That time, his human walked out a door and didn’t come back. This time, he left her. With Lara. Lara, who doesn’t know how to find the itchy spot on the side of his neck. Who doesn’t remember that he likes the lamb treats more than the chicken ones. Lara, who takes him away from everything he loves, over and over again.

He loves Lara. He was glad to see Lara. But Lara is not his. 

He is so busy whining that he doesn’t hear the racoons until one lands with a THUMP on the top of the car. It’s followed by another, and another. He can hear them skittering, hissing, careening off the roof and onto the road. He can hear them running after the car when they land. He can smell that they’re wrong – rotted, dark, like the squirrels he met the day before. They’re strange like those squirrels too, working in packs, coordinating in a way racoons normally don’t. And there are other animals coming, too – some with hooves, some with wings.

Sodapop barks. If they know there’s a dog in the car, they might go away. They might not realize that he’s clipped into a harness and can’t actually get them. 

A cursed raccoon slips through the sunroof and into the car. Lara screams. It lets out a horrible hiss. Sodapop strains against his car harness – why did Lara restrain him like this? Didn’t she know this might happen? – and growls deep in his throat.

Lara grabs the racoon and throws it out a window. This is brave, Sodapop thinks. She still hasn’t unclipped him, which is silly of her. But she is brave.

A hooved thing slams into the side of the vehicle. The car careens sideways, fishtails back and forth across the road. Lara and the stranger yell at each other. Sodapop howls.

More things fall on the roof. He can hear them massing along the sides of the car, even approaching from the front.

The car turns. 

The humans scream.

They all crash into a tree.

The animals run away. Why did they run away? He must have barked very well.

The humans slam into the dashboard. The harness pulls at Sodapop’s shoulders, but otherwise keeps him in place. 

Lara groans. She’s hurt her head. Sodapop can’t reach her. 

He strains at the harness. 

There is a wound on the side of Lara’s head. There is blood. 

He can’t clean it.

He can’t look intently into her eyes.

He can’t lick her nose until she pushes him away. He can’t make her safe.

In the forest, something screams. It is coming closer.

In the front seat, Lara rouses herself. She wakes up the cranky man.

Sodapop can smell danger. Just through the window. Just past the bushes. He feels his hair stand on end.

Finally, finally, Lara turns to him. She is hurt, and a little confused. He licks her nose. She runs her hand along his body, gentle but firm, searching for hurt places. He stares hard at her face, looking for the same thing.

She is okay. A little disoriented, but she will live. 

The smell comes closer. Sharp, wild, strange. And close behind it…nothing.

Nothing. The worst thing.

Sodapop looks at Lara. She is hurt. He is not.

When she finally unclips his harness, he bolts out the window. He runs, without a thought, toward the danger.

Dogs don’t generally understand vengeance. They don’t think of pain as transferable, especially over time and distance. What they can do, though, is focus on one particular enemy, and keep going until it stops. They do that better than almost anything. 

Sodapop crashes through the underbrush. At the edge of a cluster of damp ferns, a demonic raccoon appears. It bares rows of glittering, needled teeth. This thing is nearly as tall as he is, and certainly heavier. It raises dextrous paws edged in thin, sharp claws. It smells of death, decay, and a third thing Sodapop can’t place. 

If Lara were here, she would pick him up, insist he leave it alone, tell him that no matter what he thinks, this thing could destroy him.

Lara is not here.

Sodapop hunches his head low, splays his paws out, tenses his shoulders. His tail goes down, ready to counterbalance and get out of the way. He’s never truly pounced on anything except for toys, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know how. He can’t see himself there, skinny and small, thorns tangled in his hair. Nor can he hear his own growl, a high-pitched parody of a forest wolf. The raccoon can, though, and it stands firm.

With a soft thud, another raccoon lands behind the first. A third limps out of the bushes, fresh from fighting the cranky man’s car. Soon there are a half-dozen of them, bloodshot eyes glittering behind branches and bushes.

Sodapop remembers the squirrels from the other night, climbing each other in a frenzied swarm to reach the owl that should’ve killed them. He remembers them crawling over it, weighing it down, ripping it to pieces. The smell of death, of open wounds and blood. He feels his hind legs tremble. 

Something ripples against his paw pads. It’s an odd sensation, like an echo in the dirt. A sort of electric pulse, emanating from behind him. Soon after, he hears a terrible roar. Like a bear, an elephant, one of the big creatures he’s seen on Lara’s TV. The cry of a monster.

The raccoons scatter. Sodapop barks at their retreating tails. The scent of death wafts away with them, and in its place he smells something…strange. An itchy smell. It’s not wrong, like the animals, or horrible, like the nothing-smell. It’s like every pheromone at the same time, tickling all his nerves. Sodapop sneezes.

Again, the ripple through the dirt. A heavy footstep. Sodapop turns.

The creature he sees is not an ape. It’s not a human. Some of its movements might remind you of a human, if you didn’t know humans very well. It’s a little like a bear, but the dream of a bear. A nightmare from someone who’s only ever heard a bear described, maybe. It walks on two legs, but it could drop to four if it wanted. It towers over him, taller than the tallest creature he’s ever seen. 

It takes a step forward. Its hind paws are enormous, wide and flat. But there’s something more than that. It’s as if it walks on top of the earth and underneath it at the same time. Its footsteps send out ripples, reverberations under everything. Its movement disturbs roots, splashes in underground rivers. It’s here, where Sodapop can see and smell it, but it’s everywhere else, too.

The creature stops, and Sodapop realizes he’s been growling. As strange as this thing is, he recognizes it somehow. In Sodapop’s deepest, deepest memory, he knows this for an enemy. 

The thing with the big paws hesitates. Slowly, slowly, it bends forward. It sets its front paws on the ground. It averts its gaze. 

This looks like dog language, predator appeasement. But this is not a dog. Sodapop stops growling, but he keeps his eyes hard, his head low, ready for anything.

The creature lowers itself completely, lies flat on its belly. And then finally…it rolls over.

Sodapop blinks. In canine language, there is no clearer sign. I’m not a threat, it says. I give up. Here are my softest parts, all at your mercy. Still, he hesitates. It’s always dangerous dealing with a different kind of animal. They don’t always speak the right way. Cats, for example, like to show you their belly just before they attack. That’s because cats are traitors. Then again, Sodapop made friends with a cat before, and it helped. Everything is upside-down here.

The creature bares no teeth or claws. Its massive paws are extended, palm-side up, toward the sky. It keeps its gaze averted. Sodapop takes an exploratory sniff. Its smell makes his spinal column ache. He knows it. He does not know how. But he knows it, like a baby squirrel ought to know an owl.

Big-paws lets out a low, soft rumble. It is not a threat. It wants him to know this. But it is dangerous. He knows that in his soul.

The trees and bushes smell of calm, as if the forest itself wants to reassure him. He considers this.

Carefully, Sodapop wags his tail. Big-paws gets the message. It rolls onto all fours in one smooth, languid motion. It keeps its eyes averted, its teeth covered.

Above them, a star streaks across the sky. Sodapop can’t make it out well, but the big-footed thing jerks in response to it. Sodapop takes two steps back and growls again. Big-paws raises one paw in a human-like gesture. In a human, it means “stop.” This is not a human, but Sodapop stops.

It wants to help him. Or it wants help from him. He can’t tell. 

He still does not like the way this thing smells. There’s something in him that wants to reject it, to chase it away. But he remembers the nothing-smell from a few nights before. He remembers a void that tried to erase the world. He thinks he remembers this creature running away from it. 

Sodapop relaxes. In response, the monster does too. It stands up on its hind feet. Its movements are graceful, almost plant-like. Its shaggy hair makes a soft whooshing sound, like the whispering of trees. It turns its odd, flat face toward the top of the hillside. It looks back at him. He wags his tail again. Assured, it turns back toward the hill and begins to walk.

Sodapop follows, at a distance. The odd, electrical pulse finds him now and then. He knows this thing, but it knows him too, somehow. The way a dog knows a wolf, maybe. The way a dog and a wolf know that they’re the same, and that they’re enemies.

Indeed, the big-pawed creature knows him well. It knows that he crawls up onto the bed with his human after she falls asleep. It knows he likes soft blankets, likes to lay his head on her leg. That he sits when she says sit, that he lets her lead him around on a length of rope. The only things Sodapop hunts are toys – small pillows, really – full of stuffing that he can’t even eat. He’s a nuisance, this little dog with his comical, high-pitched “woof.” A thorn in the side of all wild things, upsetter of ecosystems, ally of the enemy.

But Big-Paws also knows that he dreams of dark places, and small creatures that run. That sometimes, in his dreams, he rips open their bellies and finds not stuffing, but slick, sweet gore. It knows what he doesn’t know how to know. Maybe it thinks that he knows something too.

A star streaks across the sky. The creature flinches. Sodapop sniffs the air for danger and growls.

Together, they walk into a forest full of strangeness.

To be continued…

[Music: “Swamp Fever,” by Walt Adams]

TRANSCRIPT: 1.10 - Oblivion

A PDF of this transcript is available here.

RADIO TRANSMISSION

A little radio JINGLE plays.

ABE

Welcome back to W-K-C-H, Charity's only public radio. This is Abe Ramirez, broadcasting live as strange phenomena appear in the forest around Charity. So far we've heard reports of inky darkness -- darker than a foggy night -- unexplained power failure, and strange sounds. Could this be extraterrestrial activity here in Wasco County? 

JAKE (FROM AFAR)

It's not aliens!

ABE

(annoyed, trying to ignore him)

We're reaching out to paranormal experts as we speak.

JAKE

(a little closer, still not on mic)

It's never aliens, man.

ABE

(turns away from mic)

Jake, dude, I told you, if you're going to stay at my place, you have to stay out of the recording studio.

JAKE

(closer)

It's a wooden box in the middle of your living room, it's not like I can't hear what you're saying in there.

(grabs a mic)

Hello, Charity, it's Jake Talbott, host of Squatch Talk.

ABE

Hey! What are you doing?

JAKE

You need my expertise, man, just trust me on this.

ABE

Never record live, they told me. But did I listen?

JAKE

Abe, please. Let's be professional.

ABE

(scoffs)

Uh -- !

JAKE

People need to know what's going on. It's dangerous out there. They should stay off the roads and out of the woods.

ABE

Well, obviously nobody's going into the woods right now.

EXT. WOODS - NIGHT

Lara staggers through the underbrush. Sasquatch walks HEAVILY in front of her.

LARA

Sodapop? Are you out here?

JAKE (V.O.)

Be on the lookout for anything unusual, especially a strong, sulphur-like smell.

Lara sniffs.

LARA

Ugh. Oh my god. I'm sorry, I'm sure your smell is great for other -- whatever you are.

ABE (V.O.)

Is this about Bigfoot again? I'm telling you, man, it's not out there. Not tonight.

Sasquatch grunts.

LARA

I'm just really nauseous. Or is it nauseated? I'm nauseated. 

SASQUATCH

Grmph.

LARA

It's a concussion, right? It's gotta be. I don't supposed you can see my pupils.

Sasquatch suddenly stops, sniffs. It roars and runs ahead.

LARA

Right, you're busy. 

(calls)

Sodapop? Sodapop!

FADE TO:

INT. BASEMENT - NIGHT

Sounds of sleeping. Abe and Jake sound shifts to a small radio in the room.

ABE (V.O.)

In any case, for your own safety, everyone should stay indoors.

The door to the basement OPENS. Rose walks in.

JAKE (V.O.)

And if you do see anything, give us a call! Our lines are open.

ABE (V.O.)

What? No, they're not. I've got all these experts (I'm just waiting on a call back from)

JAKE (V.O.)

(overlapping)

Okay, then call me. It's Five-Oh-Three, Eight-Six --

Radio clicks OFF.

Rose approaches a sleeping Camille.

ROSE

Camille.

Camille wakes with a start.

CAMILLE

What -- oh, Rose.

ROSE

It's time. Wake the others.

CAMILLE

It's time? Are you sure?

ROSE

Yes. Wake them up. We're going into the forest. Now.

CAMILLE

Okay. Yeah. Let's go.

She gets up, quickly.

TITLES

NARRATOR

Believer. Episode Ten. Oblivion.

EXT. DEAD ZONE - NIGHT

Sasquatch sniffs, growls, shuffles its giant feet.

Lara crashes out of the underbrush, still unsteady on her feet.

LARA

Sodapop? Sodapop! God, it's so dark out here. My phone is totally dead.

Sasquatch growls a warning. Lara stops.

LARA

Wait, is this...the Dead Zone? From before? 

Sasquatch sniffs.

LARA

Oh my god.

VO LARA

It was absolutely covered in carcasses. Before there had been a lot of dead animals, but this -- it was like a carpet.

LARA

Were these...squirrels?

Sasquatch grunts another warning.

LARA

I won't touch it.

SASQUATCH

Hmph.

LARA

What's growing out of them?

VO LARA

Sickly white mushrooms sprouted out of each of the dead animals. I don't even know if white is the right...it was like they were drained of color. Have you ever seen those flowers that grow inside of caves? There's a variety of orchid that never sees the sun. But it grows anyway. Those are beautiful, though. These were...wrong. At the base they were black, oily, like the ones I found in the water pipe. But as they grew, the color drained out. And the caps were...disturbing. Bloated, pulsing, pustules ready to burst.

LARA

They're flowering. Ready to release their spores.

SASQUATCH

(yep)

Humph.

LARA

Is this -- did you bring me here? To see this? 

SASQUATCH

(yes)

Huh-whuff.

LARA

You want to help them...why can't you help them?

SASQUATCH

Hrmphf. 

LARA

Is it because you're not real?

Sasquatch growls.

LARA

Ow! God, watch it. Chewbacca-looking asshole.

Sasquatch growls, then stops, stiffens.

LARA

What...?

Footsteps approach. Voices humming. Sasquatch squeaks and rushes into the trees in the opposite direction.

LARA

Wait, Sass -- Sasquatch. And he's gone.

(beat)

How hard did I hit my head?

The CULT comes through the underbrush.

ROSE

We're here. Close the lanterns and keep them out of sight.

CAMILLE

Of course.

(to others)

Let's go.

She rushes off with a few others. Rose takes a step forward.

ROSE

There. The flowers. Do you see? God's fingers. They're even more beautiful than I dreamed.

Cultists murmur to each other.

ROSE

Everyone, line up around...

(stops)

Lara?!

LARA

Um...hi.

ROSE

Are you kidding me? What are you doing here?

LARA

So, long story -- there was a car accident, and I actually think I have a concussion. 

ROSE

Where's Sodapop?

LARA

He ran off. I was actually trying to find him, but, uh, I might just need the hospital?

ROSE

He ran off? He's out here somewhere?

LARA

Well, I'm looking for him.

ROSE

You were supposed to keep him safe!

LARA

I'm trying! Sorry. Listen, Rose, I don't know what's happening here, but (you don't have to do this) --

ROSE

(overlapping)

No, you don't. You don't know what's happening here. We're about to change the world, Lara. Make it new.

LARA

With mushrooms?

ROSE

Stop making fun of me!

The cultists stop and turn, whispering.

LARA

I'm not...

A star STREAKS across the sky, a distant squealing scream.

LARA

What is that?

ROSE

(relieved)

The stars. It's time.

(to Lara)

You can't stop this, Lara. Do you understand? It's already begun.

LARA

Rose...

ROSE

Find Sodapop. Take him somewhere far from here.

(to others)

Everyone! Gather around. Just like we practiced. 

LARA

Rose -- wait. Whatever's supposed to happen here -- you know it's not right. You sent Sodapop away, right? It doesn't look like your mom is here. Some part of you wants to protect the people you love.

Rose scoffs ruefully.

ROSE

(to herself)

Not everyone I love.

LARA

What?

CAMILLE

Sister Rose? We're ready.

ROSE

Good.

(to Lara)

It's too late, Lara. Join in or get out of the way. 

(to the others)

Form a ring! Get close, close to the beautiful, blooming flowers. 

(they move)

And now...it begins.

The cultists begin to chant.

CULT

All is nothing, and we are all. All in nothing, and we are all...

The stars begin to scream overhead.

LARA

Rose -- 

ROSE

(louder)

All is nothing! We are all!

LARA

Rose!

CAMILLE

(ugh)

Marcus, can you...?

Marcus grunts and grabs Lara.

LARA

Ow! Hey.

An odd groaning sound as animals move. Chittering noises. 

LARA

Wait...what's happening?

VO LARA

It's hard to describe what happened next. And not just because my head was swimming worse than ever. 

Chanting, star sounds continue. 

VO LARA

Shooting stars were streaking overhead, far too bright, far too close, and there was this odd sound -- it was like you could hear them breaking up against the atmosphere, squealing as the friction wore them down. But that wasn't the crazy part.

Animals begin to grunt and move.

VO LARA

Now listen, I know I was hallucinating at this point. I was definitely starting to see double, and that alone can...but that blanket of animal corpses? Those dead animals...started to move.

CULTIST CHILD

W-What is that?

CULTIST MOM

It's okay, honey. Say it with me: "All is nothing..."

LARA

Holy shit. Shit.

ROSE

Don't stop! We're nearly there! Bring the dead to life again!

VO LARA

Except it wasn't like the animals had come back to life. Their movements were strange, disjointed, like something else was controlling them. Piloting them.

ROSE

This is glory! This is beauty! This is life from death!

VO LARA

There's a type of parasite -- ophiocordyceps. You usually only see it in bugs. Ants or caterpillars, things like that. It takes over its host's central nervous system. They -- okay, I'm not talking about zombies. I mean people use them in zombie stories sometimes, but -- What it actually does is force its host to climb. The ant finds a tall tree and just goes up and up and up. Then, when the ant can't get any higher, it sends its spores through the air.

Grunting and chittering of reanimated animals.

VO LARA

These animals weren't going up, though. They were moving toward the cult members. 

LARA

Oh god. She's planning to infect the others. Can't you see? She's going to turn you all into parasites.

Marcus grunts and drags her away.

EXT. WOODS - CONTINUOUS

The chaos quiets as Marcus drags her quickly through the underbrush.

LARA

No! Let me go! Please -- okay, I'm very dizzy, so if you can slow down -- ugh. Stop! Listen to me. There has to be some way to -- ow. Careful, there's a slope here and my vision is kind of -- ahhh!

Lara trips, slides, and rolls down a hill.

LARA

(groggy)

I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm...I'm...

Lara groans and BLACKS OUT.

MARCUS

Huh.

Marcus shrugs and walks away.

EXT. DEAD ZONE

Cultists are getting alarmed now. Weird, haunted cries and heavy steps as the zombie animals move.

ROSE

Don't move away! Let them come to you! As Revelations says:

(quotes scripture)

"Surrounding God's throne were living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back." It's just as the scriptures say! Please!

Animals cry. A cultist SCREAMS.

CAMILLE

Here, I'll...I'll do it. I'll show you guys.

Camille steps forward.

An elk lumbers toward her.

CAMILLE

This elk...has been touched by Oblivion. I see it. Just like you said, Rose. Pale, moonlit flowers.

The other cult members go silent, watching.

Camille breathes, frightened.

The elk grunts and shies. 

Camille gasps.

ROSE

Don't move! It's okay. Just breathe. Just...breathe.

CAMILLE

Okay. 

(deep breaths)

All...is nothing...and we...are all...

The elk squeals.

FWOOSH! The mushrooms BURST. 

Everyone screams.

EXT. WOODS - NEARBY

Lara moans, trying to come to.

Two heavy FEET step up to her.

LARA

Where have you been?

She sniffs, then recoils.

LARA

Oh! God! It's so much worse at the feet, I...

Sasquatch grumbles softly.

LARA

Sorry. I'm sure it's...ohhhh, god. 

Lara starts to vomit, holds back, recovers.

Nearby, we hear SCREAMS.

LARA

Shit. Rose. The cult. Okay. Okay.

She staggers to her feet.

Sasquatch grunts.

LARA

Yeah, just...give me a minute. Okay. There's got to be some way to do something. 

(aha!)

The lanterns! They had, um, kerosene lanterns. And-and she wanted them out of sight. The mushrooms only grew at night. Light and heat! That's gotta be it, right?

Sasquatch makes a noncommittal noise.

LARA

Okay. Okay. You should stay away from here. Actually -- can you find my dog? You don't eat dogs, do you?

Sasquatch growls.

LARA

Okay. Okay. Let's go. Ready, uh, break.

Lara runs off.

EXT. DEAD ZONE

It's chaos. Stars scream overhead. Cult members scream on the ground. Animals lunge and cry. 

ROSE

Stop! Please -- you have to believe. This is joy, come into the world!

The cult members run into the woods.

ROSE

Please! Come back! No!

Camille suddenly gasps, coughs. 

ROSE

See, everyone? Camille is...she's...

(to Camille)

Are you okay?

CAMILLE

I feel...amazing. Every piece of me is so alive.

ROSE

See? The animals, the flowers -- it's a blessing.

Camille coughs and chokes wildly.

ROSE

Camille?

CAMILLE

It's okay -- I just can't -- I can't quite breathe --

An elk BELLOWS, along with a chorus of SQUIRRELS. The cult members SCREAM.

ROSE

(nervous)

This isn't...this wasn't in my dream. All this noise.

Lara steps out of the bushes.

LARA

Rose. You have to stop this. Please.

ROSE

Lara. What are you holding?

LARA

Propane lantern. Somebody's lighter. 

ROSE

You can't bring that here.

LARA

Your people are all leaving. 

ROSE

It's my father. He didn't teach them what to expect. I didn't have enough time...

LARA

We can end this now. You can try again later.

Camille gasps and struggles, desperate.

CAMILLE

No! Rose, please. You can't stop now.

ROSE

It's too late, anyway. They're already awake.

LARA

It's just a theory, but...look. If you bring the fire close to them...

A zombie animal SCREAMS. The mushrooms SIZZLE.

ROSE

Lara! Stop! You're killing them!

LARA

They're already dead!

CAMILLE

No. You're dead.

Camille lunges at Lara.

LARA

Agh! Don't -- please --

ROSE

Camille -- let her go.

CAMILLE

Rose! You can't let her do this. Oblivion is -- it's so --

She breaks off, coughing. Lara recoils.

LARA

Eugh. Cover your nose and mouth.

ROSE

Lara, don't.

CAMILLE

Rose. I saw it. The oldest ocean. Older than old. And reaching across the sky...a dark embrace...

ROSE

(a big moment)

You saw it.

CAMILLE

I saw...everything. And ever since I breathed in God's love --

LARA

They're spores.

ROSE

Lara!

CAMILLE

Listen to me. It's more than just a vision. I can feel everything. I'm connected to it all. 

ROSE

What do you mean?

CAMILLE

It's all one, Rose.

LARA

The mycorrhizal network.

CAMILLE

One being. One entity. But it needs you.

ROSE

We need to get to the center.

LARA

Rose -- please --

ROSE

Lara. I know you don't understand this. I don't expect you to follow me. But you have to let me go.

VO LARA

I can't describe what she looked like there. Standing in the dirt, the world ending all around her. And her eyes...so bright, so sad.

ROSE

I can't be alone anymore, Lara. I've been alone in this for so long.

CAMILLE

I'm with you now, Rose.

ROSE

Thank you, Camille.

(to Lara)

Lara...please just...pretend you get it. Please?

Lara sets down the lantern and the lighter.

LARA

Wait. 

ROSE

Listen --

LARA

I'll come with you. I'll leave the lantern here, and I'll...I'll come with you.

ROSE

(hesitates)

You can't save me from this.

LARA

Everything is spinning. My head hurts so bad...

ROSE

Lara?

LARA

I won't try to save you. Can I just sit with you? Until the end, or whatever?

ROSE

You won't try anything?

LARA

Rose, I don't have anything either.

ROSE

(hesitates)

Okay. Let's go.

CAMILLE

Are you sure?

ROSE

I'm sure. Let's go.

EXT. DEAD ZONE - CENTER - MOMENTS LATER

A group of possessed SQUIRRELS skitter by.

LARA

Gah! Demon squirrels.

ROSE

Here. This is it.

Drone. They approach a giant pile of goo. It PULSES softly.

CAMILLE

It's beautiful.

LARA

It's a weird pile of goo.

ROSE

The heart of oblivion.

LARA

Yeah, that sounds better.

ROSE

Come on. Move in close.

CAMILLE

Of course.

ROSE

Whatever happens, you'll have to carry it with you. Without the congregation -- we'll have to find others. Quickly.

CAMILLE

We'll take God's love to the world.

LARA

Or we'll die.

Camille growls.

ROSE

Hush. She'll understand. If you want to be here, Lara --

LARA

I want to be here.

ROSE

Then lean in close. And get ready to breathe.

LARA

Okay.

ROSE

I'm glad you're here.

VO LARA

She reached for my hand. But just before our fingers touched...

FWOOM! The mushroom BURSTS.

VO LARA

Glittering spores filled the air. We breathed in, and...

LARA BREATHES IN. It merges with the sound of...

EXT. OCEAN - BEYOND TIME AND SPACE

THE LARGEST, OLDEST OCEAN laps against the shore.

LARA

What...? Where am I?

VO LARA

I suddenly saw myself in this wide...expanse. Silver sand dunes that stretched beyond my imagination. I stood at the top of one. The sky, the ground -- it was so immense, so massive, it was overwhelming. It felt crushing.

Far away, we hear Rose LAUGHING.

VO LARA

At some point, the sand became water. Like the ripples in a mirage. And the water was a huge, dark ocean.

There was nothing there. Anywhere. Nothing except...

ROSE

(far away)

Lara! Laaaraaaaa...!

LARA

Rose.

Lara runs.

Rose laughs.

VO LARA

I ran. Forever. Like on the road walking home that night, except, instead of frightened I was...

Lara laughs. She whoops.

VO LARA

Ecstatic.

Lara reaches Rose.

ROSE

You made it!

LARA

I made it.

ROSE

It's me.

LARA

It's you.

ROSE

It's us.

LARA

I'm so...

VO LARA

That's when I caught it. 

LARA

Wait...

VO LARA

I was so...happy. Unbelievably happy.

LARA

This is wrong. 

ROSE

No, Lara. It's finally right.

VO LARA

And people like me? We don't get to be happy.

LARA

I need to go back.

ROSE

Lara...there's nowhere to go.

VO LARA

She was right. I turned around and around. But everywhere, in every direction, everything was the same. 

LARA

There's nowhere to go.

(beat)

I'm so...I'm so...tired...

Lara collapses.

VO LARA

I don't know if you've ever felt everything just kind of...drain out of you. It's a hard thing to imagine, if you haven't been through it. 

I could feel myself shutting down. Piece by piece. All the sensation slid down my shoulders, through my arms, out my fingers, and then dissipated. I knew that somewhere there was a forest, and spores, and horror. But I didn't know what it meant anymore. It didn't seem important. 

I just wanted to...I didn't even want to fall asleep. I was just...empty.

LARA

I think I'm going to die.

ROSE

(still overjoyed)

What?

LARA

(matter-of-fact)

I'm going to die.

VO LARA

But then...

A distant BARK.

VO LARA

Listen, I don't really go in for all that "we don't deserve dogs" stuff. We spent thousands of years specifically engineering dogs to be ideal human companions, and then act all shocked when they turn out to be, you know, excellent companions. It's silly. 

More barking and whining.

VO LARA

But still...when I -- when I heard that dog...it's like I knew the way home.

EXT. DEAD ZONE - CENTER - AS BEFORE

The real world WHOOSHES back in - as SODAPOP RUNS IN, barking up a storm.

LARA

Sodapop!

Sodapop runs up and licks Lara's face. Lara laughs, weakly.

LARA

Hey, buddy, where've you been?

Sodapop licks her face and shakes himself off.

VO LARA

I guess it's just...What do you do when you have nothing left? You hold onto what you love, right? Even if you can't quite remember what loving something feels like.

Deep growls from the monsters around them. 

Camille looms, ragged and monstrous.

LARA

Holy shit!

CAMILLE

I knew you would ruin this.

LARA

Camille -- please --

Sodapop GROWLS and BARKS. Rose rouses.

ROSE

Sodapop? What's wrong, baby-dog?

CAMILLE

God damn it!

Camille ATTACKS Lara. For real this time. 

LARA

Don't -- aagh!

Camille tackles her to the ground.

CAMILLE

We're so close to Oblivion. Only you -- only you are in the way.

Camille CHOKES Lara.

LARA

(choking)

Please -- Camille -- I can't breathe -- 

ROSE

Camille! Stop!

Sodapop growls and LUNGES.

CAMILLE

Get off of me, you stupid dog!

Sodapop cries.

ROSE

No! Where's that -- lantern --

Rose SLAMS the lantern into Camille's head. Camille falls with a THUD. Lara coughs and passes out.

CAMILLE

Rose...how could you...?

ROSE

Oblivion. Like a spider. Like a hole. The mouth of nothing.

Rose flicks a LIGHTER.

CAMILLE

What are you doing...?

ROSE

I'm lighting the lantern. Lara. I see it. I know what we need to do.

(stops)

Lara? Lara -- 

She runs to Lara.

ROSE

Lara, wake up!

She slaps at Lara's face gently. Impulsively, she kisses her. Lara wakes, coughing.

LARA

Did you -- did you kiss me?

ROSE

You wouldn't wake up, so I...thought I'd try it.

LARA

Like a fairy tale?

ROSE

Shut up. We don't have time.

LARA

Right. I think you need to burn it.

ROSE

(overlapping)

We have to burn it.

LARA

Yeah.

CAMILLE

No...no...

Something GROWLS in the woods. Sodapop barks and whines.

ROSE

It's okay, puppy. Lara, can you stand? We're going to have to run.

LARA

Yeah, I can, um. I'll just...yeah.

CAMILLE

Please -- you can't --

ROSE

I'm so sorry, Camille.

Rose throws the lantern onto the fungus. It SHATTERS. Fire EXPLODES.

CAMILLE

Noooo! No! It's spreading to all of them! Everything -- burning -- 

The cursed animals SCREAM and SHRIEK.

LARA

They're taking it through the network.

CAMILLE

It burns!

LARA

Nothing's touching you, Camille. But it will in a minute if we don't --

Camille growls and shrugs her off.

CAMILLE

Don't touch me!

ROSE

She's part of it now.

LARA

No, that's not a thing. Camille, come on. The fire's spreading.

CAMILLE

You ruined everything.

LARA

Look, we need to go now -- 

Camille growls again, vicious.

CAMILLE

I'll kill you!

She lunges. Lara staggers back.

ROSE

Lara, you can't help her. 

LARA

But --

ROSE

Lara. Fire. Run!

LARA

Right! Come on, Sodapop.

They run off into the forest. 

The fire WHOOSHES.

Camille COUGHS.

Two large FOOTSTEPS approach. 

CAMILLE

(whines)

It's burning! It's...burning...

(sniffs)

What...

(it hits.)

You.

Sasquatch growls, deep and menacing.

CAMILLE

I know you.

SASQUATCH

Hrmph.

CAMILLE

You shouldn't be here.

SASQUATCH

(defiant)

Grrrmph.

CAMILLE

Alright, then. Let's do this.

Sasquatch growls. Camille steels herself. 

Camille lets out a BATTLE CRY.

Sasquatch ROARS in return.

FADE TO:

INT. RADIO TRANSMISSION

The little jingle/music sting plays again.

ABE

Good morning and welcome back to W-K-C-H. I'm Abe Ramirez.

JAKE

Ahem.

ABE

(grudgingly)

And this is my co-host, Jake Talbott.

JAKE

Co-host? Really? You mean it, buddy?

ABE

Yeah, why not.

JAKE

Yessss.

ABE

Okay, well, we're just catching everyone up on the massive wildfire that --

JAKE

(radio voice)

Chaos. Terror. Smoke blankets the valley as a mysterious fire starts deep in the Mt. Hood National Forest.

ABE

Dude!

JAKE 

Firefighters were able to contain the blaze, but questions remain.

ABE

In addition, citizens are encouraged to check their homes for a virulent strain of mold.

JAKE

(triumphant)

That's right! It is not just me.

ABE 

But could the mold and fire be related? Martha Arberg --

JAKE 

Who, as we know, has her farm right on the edge of the affected part of the forest -- 

ABE

(with increasing irritation)

Martha Arberg reports that the lingering smoke isn't just the last embers of a fire going out. That fire is still burning. 

JAKE

The Forest Service has locked down the area, so nobody can get close to investigate.

ABE

Could it be a controlled burn? Waste disposal? We don't yet know how the fire started, why it's still going, and more importantly -- what's still up there. 

JAKE

Or inside your homes!

ABE (RADIO)

For the next three hours, we'll be taking your calls. If you have any information about what's happening up there --

JAKE (RADIO)

I think it's aliens.

ABE (RADIO)

Dude, you have got to stop interrupting me.

(beat)

Wait, what?

JAKE (RADIO)

Yeah, it's got to be aliens.

ABE (RADIO)

You don't think it's Sasquatch?

INT. HOSPITAL - DAY

Hospital sounds fade in.

The transmission continues over a speaker inside the room.

Terri paces back and forth.

JAKE (RADIO)

Are you kidding? No way Sasquatch would be involved in something like that.

ABE (RADIO)

But the protection of nature is like, his whole thing.

JAKE (RADIO)

Man, you will never get it. It's like this, alright? Sasquatch, yes, is like the preserver. But at the same time, he would never -- 

The radio clicks off.

TERRI

That's enough of that.

ROSE

Come on, Mom, it's the news.

TERRI

That is not news.

Rose chuckles.

Lara knocks softly on the door.

LARA

Hey. Can I...come in?

TERRI

(cold)

Lara.

LARA

Mayor Boone.

ROSE

Hey, Lara. Yeah, it's okay.

TERRI

(quietly)

Rose, honey...

ROSE

It's okay, Mom. 

Terri hesitates.

TERRI

I'll be outside.

LARA

I heard the nurse's station has one of those coffee pod machines. If you ask nicely, I bet --

TERRI

Excuse me.

She walks out.

Lara steps into the room.

LARA

Well, she still hates me.

ROSE

She's been through a lot.

LARA

Yeah.

Lara grabs a chair and sits.

LARA

How are you feeling? 

ROSE

I'm okay. They keep talking about scans and keeping me for observation, but I feel fine. How's your head?

LARA

Better. I'm over the worst of the concussion, so they're discharging me. No lingering effects from the -- from the forest.

ROSE

That's good.

Doctor Simmons knocks on the door.

SIMMONS

How's the patient?

LARA

Doctor Simmons?!

SIMMONS

(awkward)

Oh. Lara. Hello.

ROSE

It's okay. I'm feeling better.

LARA

You're not...seeing patients, are you?

SIMMONS

No. No, no. I'm on a bit of a sabbatical.

LARA

Oh.

SIMMONS

Yes. Seemed best. But I helped synthesize the treatment that Rose and a few of the others who inhaled the spores last night are getting.

LARA

(suspicious)

You did? Nobody told me about anything like that.

SIMMONS

Well, no. Your body seems to have cleared itself of them all on its own. I'd love to find out more about that, but -- 

(off Lara's look)

Ah, I suppose I should -- I'm going to go. The Sheriff is meeting me here. About Camille.

LARA

Have they found her?

SIMMONS

She survived the fire. That's all they know.

LARA

Oh.

ROSE

I'm so sorry, Doctor Simmons.

SIMMONS

It's not your fault. She...Camille does what she's going to do.

(sighs)

I'm assisting where I can, but...well, I suppose I should focus on my own recovery. It appears I had a bit of exposure. Might have been...affected.

LARA

Yeah.

SIMMONS

They're -- they're good at what they do. The search teams. And she...I'm sure she's fine. With treatment, we'll all be fine.

LARA

Yeah.

SIMMONS

You saw them, then. The spores?

ROSE

Yeah.

SIMMONS

Are any of them (still intact)?

LARA

(overlapping)

We burned them all.

SIMMONS

(surprised)

Oh. Well, I'm sure that's fine.

ROSE

What do you mean?

SIMMONS

Well, some species of fungi reproduce through forest fires. The flames actually release the spores from the soil, so they only fruit in burn zones.

(off their expressions)

But I'm sure it's fine. It's fine.

ROSE

Um...

SIMMONS

(clears throat)

Well, I was just stopping by to see how you were. I'll -- I'll go.

LARA

(to Rose)

She hasn't tried to examine you, has she?

ROSE

What? Why?

SIMMONS

(annoyed)

I'm not seeing patients. 

(sighs)

I hope you continue to improve.

ROSE

Thanks.

She leaves.

ROSE

What was that about?

LARA

Long story.

Beat.

ROSE

You know, Lara, I...I'm glad you were there last night.

LARA

Me too.

ROSE

Did you really see it? 

LARA

Hm?

ROSE

When we -- when the spores burst out. 

LARA

Why don't you tell me what you saw?

ROSE

It was...the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. The stars came down to the earth, these beautiful balls of dancing light. And they sang. Like, really sang. I could see the tendrils from the -- the mushrooms? Reaching up. And when they met the stars...it was like everything...it was peace. Perfect peace.

LARA

Hm.

ROSE

You didn't see that?

LARA

I...had a dream. But it was different.

ROSE

You didn't see the stars?

LARA

There was an ocean. I think. But no stars. And definitely no song.

ROSE

(disappointed)

Oh.

LARA

I'm sorry, Rose. I wish I...I don't know why you see dancing stars and I just see...emptiness. Mold spores and mushrooms.

ROSE

It went wrong, anyway. There was that one moment of bliss and then...you said something about dying, I think? And it fell apart. I had the most horrible feeling, like everything was just...falling out of me. It was like this tingling feeling, like every bit of me...my nerves were just...freezing fire. And the nothingness wasn't an embrace anymore. It was...

(shudders)

I'm glad. I'm glad we burned them all.

LARA

I'm sorry it didn't end the way you thought.

ROSE

Yeah. Me too.

(beat)

I can't believe you didn't see the stars. And you don't -- you didn't feel anything, either? That piece of something greater?

LARA

I think it's just who I am. It's why I can't...be the person for you.

ROSE

Lara...

LARA

It's okay.

A quiet moment.

ROSE

You know, my mom used to tell me this story, that her mom told to her. About the sun and the moon.

LARA

Yeah?

ROSE

Mm-hmm. She said in the beginning, the sun and the moon were strangers. The sun gave us light and heat, and the moon moved the tides and brought the rain. And the sun watched over the day, while the moon watched over the night. But at sunrise and sunset, they could see each other. Just for a moment. Across the sky. And over the years, they fell in love.

LARA

That's sweet.

ROSE

Yeah. They lived like that for a long time, catching glimpses between day and night, until one day...they tried to be together. But when the sun and moon came together, the earth lost them both. 

LARA

An eclipse.

ROSE

Everything went dark and cold. The tides wouldn't move. And soon, the plants and animals began to die. 

LARA

Hm.

ROSE

So the sun and the moon agreed to stay apart. They leave messages for each other in the clouds, catch glimpses when one rises or sets. And once in a while, after years of isolation, they come together. But only ever for a moment.

LARA

That's...sad.

ROSE

The sun and the moon love each other. But they love the rest of us more. That's what my mom always said.

LARA

It's a good story.

ROSE

Yeah.

Little doggy claws tick-tack on the floor in the hall, and then SODAPOP bursts into the room.

ROSE

Sodapop! 

LARA

Hey, buddy!

Terri follows on his heels.

TERRI

Look what I found.

Sodapop jumps up on the bed and crawls all over Rose.

ROSE

Oh, hi, baby. What a good boy. Oh, someone cut your hair!

TERRI

He was a mess after all that time in the woods. And your cousin's ex-girlfriend grooms dogs, so...

A NURSE pokes her head in.

NURSE

Ma'am, you can't have dogs in here.

TERRI

It's just for a moment.

LARA

Do you know who this is? She's the mayor of Charity.

NURSE

What?

LARA

Charity? It's, like, twenty minutes from here!

NURSE

(dubious)

Well, it's hospital policy.

TERRI

Alright. Give us just a minute.

NURSE

One minute.

The nurse leaves.

LARA

They don't mess around here.

Sodapop rushes over to her.

LARA

Oh! Hey, Sodapop. I'm so happy you came back, bud. What a good boy.

Lara stands.

LARA

Well. I should probably get out of your way.

TERRI

Thank you.

ROSE

Will you take care of him? Of Sodapop?

LARA

Do you mean...?

ROSE

(surprise)

You'll take him home, won't you?

LARA

Are you sure? He -- you know, he was always your dog.

ROSE

He's your dog, Lara. 

LARA

I don't know about that. I mean, look at him, he...

(realizes)

He's following me.

ROSE

See?

LARA

He doesn't do that.

TERRI

Apparently, he does. 

LARA

Huh. Come on, buddy.

Sodapop makes happy dog noises.

Lara walks to the door. She pauses.

LARA

Goodbye, Rose.

ROSE

Goodbye, Lara.

Nurse returns.

NURSE

Ma'am? I really need you to remove that dog.

LARA

I've got him. 

(picks up Sodapop)

Come on, buddy, let's go. 

Sodapop licks her face.

Lara walks out.

TERRI

(to Rose)

How are you feeling?

ROSE

(for the hundredth time)

I'm fine, Mom.

TERRI

Good. Oh, did I tell you about Sheriff Tate? Apparently when they started on his mold abatement, they found a bunch of gold.

ROSE

What?

TERRI

Yeah. In the walls, under the floorboards. They were just sitting on it the whole time. He is pretty happy.

ROSE

I bet.

The scene fades out.

INT. LARA'S CAR

Lara gets into the driver seat. She shuts the car door behind her and buckles her seatbelt. Sodapop whines in the backseat.

LARA

Alright, buddy, you ready? We can go see Shayne. Run around on the farm. Sound good?

Sodapop whines.

LARA

Okay. Let me just plug in my phone...

The phone BEEPS.

PHONE

You have 216 new messages.

LARA

Great.

She sighs and puts the car into gear.

LARA

Just great.

(to phone)

Play messages.

PHONE

First message sent Wednesday...

FADE OUT

RECORDING

Recording clicks on, as with Lara's VO.

LARA

So that's...what happened. I think.

THERAPIST

Hmm. What do you think happened? I mean, really?

LARA

I think...you can love someone and just not be right for them, you know? The moon chases the sun. And as long as it never catches it, everything's okay. As long as it's just close enough to -- to reflect it, once in a while. So even if love Rose...maybe I'll always...

You know, in tarot the Moon represents illusion, deception, but also unconscious knowledge. Rose reads Tarot. I mean, I don't think that's what meant, but.

You can love the sun, and still recognize that it needs to stay...where it is.

(beat)

Or, sorry -- did you mean the Bigfoot stuff? Yeah, no, there's no Bigfoot. I had a concussion.

INT. MYSTERIOUS ROOM

High-tech machinery whirs. Recording continues from a small speaker.

VO LARA

There are species of fungus that can survive in space. Like, not just a vacuum, but actual space. So maybe when they had that meteor shower, a fragment came through with...something weird on it. Or maybe there was a weird strain there all along, down under the dirt. Rose got exposed, and with her existing issues...and you  know, small towns can get this kind of mass hysteria. So I guess it was a combination of things. And I just...got in the middle somehow.

THERAPIST (V.O.)

Hm.

VO LARA

So anyway, yeah. That's my story. That's why I came to a psychotherapist.

THERAPIST (V.O.)

Mm-hmm. 

(beat)

I think you should see me twice a week.

VO LARA

Yeah. That makes sense.

The recording clicks off.

The same voice as the therapist speaks, but very different now. 

ASSISTANT

So what do you think?

A MAN, deep voice, aggressively cheerful, replies.

MAN

It's fascinating. She's coming here?

ASSISTANT

She's on her way.

MAN

And she doesn't know we're here?

ASSISTANT

She thinks she's visiting her mother.

MAN

Good. Good.

ASSISTANT

You seem pleased.

MAN

Well, I suppose there is a reason they call me The Grinning Man.

A VERY DRAMATIC MUSICAL STING plays.

END OF EPISODE

OUTRO

Music: "I Will Fool You," by Bothnia

Whaaaaat?!? Guys! I guess you’ll have to come back for season two!

I just want to thank you for sticking around through the season one finale. It’s been a wild time. Did I think it would take me TWO YEARS to release one season of this show? No, my friends, I did not. But life happens, and here we are.

Completing these last five episodes was only possible because of Patreon, Zencastr, the Saunders Family, and the ongoing support of all you lovely people.

A special thank you to our Patreon supporters, including new Patrons Timothy Diaz, Adam Alexander, Rafael Fuentes, and Debbie (who I’m pretty sure is my mom. Hi, Mom.) Patreon supporters get all episodes early, as well as access to behind-the-scenes information, updates, bonus content, and more. To find out more or join in yourself, go to Patreon.com/believerpodcast. That’s P-A-T-R-E-O-N dot com, slash believerpodcast.

Remote recording during the pandemic has only been possible because of our sponsor, Zencastr. When we lost access to in-person recording, I really thought we were done-for. But Zencastr made the transition to remote recording really easy. It’s browser-based, so everyone could log in from home, and it records high-quality audio on separate tracks, which is something you don’t get from general internet-video-call services. To learn more and get 30% off a pro plan, use the referral link in the show notes or enter promo code “believer” at checkout.

This episode features the voice talents of Mara Hernandez, Sara Gorsky, Miles Langerman, Jason Markoff, Rosa Delgado, Samantha Ronceros, Jillian Cardillo, Kip Parshall, Duke Parshall, Seth Ellsworth, Julie Saunders, and Archie. The Grinning Man was played by Javier Ronceros (who killed it).

This episode was written and directed by Julie Saunders, with sound design by Ester Ellis. Additional sound design assistance by Andrew Wardlaw. Andrew runs the Lamplight Radio Play, which adapts original dark fiction stories into audio. If you want to hear an episode directed by me, check out episode 11, “The Elevator Girl." Ester Ellis is the creator of Station Blue, and provides sound design for Dungeons and Daddies, Hit the Bricks, Arden, and much more. 

Season two will begin production later this year! In the meantime, if you experience an unexpected head injury -- or even, really, an expected head injury -- you should get that checked out. It’s pretty serious, even if you don’t see Bigfoot. (Although if you do see Bigfoot, will you tell him hi from me? He’s not returning my calls.)

Bye now.

TRANSCRIPT: 1.09 - Rose

A PDF version of this transcript is available here.

Please note, this episode contains lots of loud beeps and alarms, so please exercise caution if you listen in the car.

INT. LARA'S INBOX

Ring, ring.

LARA

You have reached Lara Campbell's Psychic Investigations. Please leave a message.

Rose sounds nervous -- and a little relieved to get voicemail.

ROSE

Hi, Lara, it's Rose. Listen, I'm sure you're pretty far out of Charity right now. Or at least, I hope you are.

The sound of a CAR HORN fades in...

INT./EXT. SHERIFF'S SUV - NIGHT

The horn rings out into the night. Sodapop cries and whines in the back seat.

Lara moans, slowly comes to.

ROSE (V.O.)

Now that you're away and safe...I guess there are a few things I'd like to say.

Lara gasps, wakes up.

LARA

What...where...oh my god. Sheriff -- Sheriff Tate? Sir?

Sheriff Tate groans softly.

SHERIFF

What's that noise...?

LARA

You're on the horn.

SHERIFF

Huh?

He sits back. Horn sound stops.

LARA

Whoa, hey, careful.

SHERIFF

'M fine...

SodaPop cries in the back seat again.

LARA

(to SodaPop)

Oh, hey, buddy, it's okay.

ROSE (V.O.)

But I don't want you to come back, okay? No matter what I say, don't come back here.

SHERIFF

We hit the tree.

LARA

Yeah. Not the best airbags in here, huh?

SHERIFF

The window's broken out.

LARA

Yeah. Listen, is your radio working? Maybe you should call someone.

SHERIFF

Yeah...yeah...

LARA

Okay, let me check on Sodapop.

(shifts in her seat)

Hey, buddy, let me look you over...

SodaPop cries and whines. Sheriff grabs a walkie-talkie.

SHERIFF

(into walkie)

Dispatch, this is Tate. Doris, are you there? We had an accident on Route 10.

He releases the button. No response.

LARA

He seems fine. This is a great car harness. Let me just get you unbuckled, buddy...

She unclips his harness.

SHERIFF

Doris, you there? Anybody listening? Hey! Is this thing working?

The radio cuts in and out.

SHERIFF

What happened to the headlights?

He clicks them on and off.

LARA

Maybe they blew out when you hit the tree?

SHERIFF

The engine's totally dead. This isn't right.

LARA

(to Sodapop)

Come here, buddy, let's look you over without the harness -- hey! No!

SodaPop yelps and scrambles out the window.

LARA

SodaPop! No!

Lara opens the car door.

SHERIFF

Lara, don't! You could have a -- ooh, I definitely have a concussion.

LARA

Keep working on the radio, I'll be right back.

She leaps out of the car and races into the brush.

LARA

Sodapop? Sodapop!!

Sheriff presses the walkie button again.

SHERIFF

Dispatch? We need an ambulance. And...animal control, I guess.

He smacks the walkie-talkie and tries again.

SHERIFF

Hello? Damn it.

LARA

(from afar)

Sodapop!!

Sheriff Tate sighs.

INT. LARA'S INBOX

Rose's message continues.

ROSE

I'm sorry about what I said before. Well, I'm not sorry I said it; I needed to say it. It's just...maybe it doesn't matter.

I don't know what's going to happen tonight, Lara. It'll be tonight, not tomorrow. I haven't told them yet. I tried earlier, but it's...complicated.

INT. BOONE HOUSE - EARLIER THAT DAY

Rose walks through the front door, Mayor Terri just behind.

Terri turns and hugs Rose.

TERRI

Rose, honey, come here.

ROSE

(muffled by hug)

Hi, Mom.

Terri pulls out of the hug, relief replaced by urgency.

TERRI

Sweetie, what are you doing here? This isn't what we talked about.

ROSE

I know.

TERRI

You didn't make it to your Auntie Maria's house?

ROSE

I didn't need to.

TERRI

But...

ROSE

Mom -- has it really been two weeks?

TERRI

Yes, honey. I thought you were just waiting, avoiding contact.

ROSE

So then tomorrow's the new moon.

TERRI

You were supposed to stay away until after it was over. Do you remember?

ROSE

I remember...I remember...

(she starts, shifts)

I've gotta talk to Dad.

She pushes past Terri toward the back holiday.

TERRI

Honey -- wait --

ROSE

I can't!

TERRI

Rose -- Rosie!

Rose walks determinedly toward the back. Terri follows.

INT. LARA'S INBOX

ROSE (V.O.)

There's emptiness at the edge of everything, Lara. The desert by the sea. I wish you could see how beautiful it is. But I know you never will.

INT. BOONE HOUSE - EARLIER

Sound of Mitchell Boone's machines. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Rose hurries in, Terri close on her heels.

TERRI

Rose -- wait --

Mitchell gasps awake.

MITCHELL

Rose!

ROSE

Reverend Boone.

MITCHELL

Oh, Rose -- you're back!

ROSE (V.O.)

There's something out there, Lara. It wants me. No...I want it.

TERRI

Shh, Mitchell, try to stay calm.

MITCHELL

Rose!

ROSE (V.O.)

Wait...not this part yet.

Sound stops. Whoosh.

INT. LARA'S INBOX

We're back. Light music fades in over this part.

ROSE

Lara, do you remember my dream? I always used to tell you about my dreams, in the mornings, in our kitchen. Do you remember? You would nod over your coffee, half-listening. I tried to tell you that the dreams were important. But you couldn't hear me very well. Remember?

Well, that night -- the night I left home -- I had the dream again. I was packing my bag. I picked up my bible. Mom said I had to take it. And then I heard...singing.

There's a song the stars sing, when they're perfectly in harmony. When the time is just right. The stars gather, huge and sparkling like firelight, and they sing.

I went outside, and there it was again. A vast, silver desert. The softest sand beneath my feet, fine and smooth like silk. And above me, the stars. Huge. Close.

In the distance, you could hear the ocean. Not our ocean. Older, and bigger.

And somewhere in the middle of it all, darker than the darkness...it called to me again.

The odd, high-pitched monster cry. Music crescendos, then stops.

ROSE

I wish you could hear it, Lara. I wish you could hear the stars sing.

INT. BASEMENT - DAY

Cult members happily sing around a guitar.

CULT MEMBERS

All will be nothing, and we will be all

A-men.

They clap and murmur happily.

ROSE

Thank you. That was beautiful.

CAMILLE

Will the Reverend and the Conductor be joining us for this meeting?

ROSE

No. You don't need to worry about them.

CAMILLE

Oh. Okay.

ROSE

(to the group)

So. I guess I've been in the woods for a while. Haven't we all?

Nervous laughter.

ROSE

Well, in the woods, I had a vision. A beautiful vision.

Child, a child, speaks up.

CHILD

What did you see, Sister Rose?

ROSE

I saw something beautiful. I saw God's fingers, underneath the dirt. Reaching, climbing, touching everything around them. They climbed up and up and up, and where they touched the surface -- flowers. But not like flowers you know, Child. Pale, moonlight stems reaching straight upward toward the darkened sky. Thick buds, bursting with seeds. Millions of tiny seeds, so small you can hardly see them. The Hands of God, here in our world.

The cultists gasp and whisper.

ROSE

When the time is right, those flowers will open. And the seeds will need to spread as far as they can go.

CHILD

Will we take it?

ROSE

Yes. You will. We all will. We'll breathe in the love of God, and carry it through the world.

CAMILLE

(realizing)

That's how Oblivion will finally come to us. To the world.

ROSE

We will take it into our bodies. And breathe it out into the world.

Cult members celebrate: 'Wow!' 'Hallelujah!' Etc.

CAMILLE

What will happen then?

ROSE

Then...all will be nothing.

CULT MEMBERS

And we are all.

ROSE

Amen.

The cult members break off into conversation.

Rose and Camille step aside.

CAMILLE

It's so great to hear from you, Rose. We're so glad you're back.

ROSE

Thank you.

(beat)

Camille.

CAMILLE

Oh -- yes?

ROSE

Are you ready for what's next? Can I count on you for help?

CAMILLE

Of - of course! You can count on me for anything.

ROSE

Are you sure?

CAMILLE

Yes, of course. I'll do whatever it takes.

ROSE

Even without the Reverend?

CAMILLE

Why? What happened?

ROSE

Nothing.

CAMILLE

Well, I'm -- I'm here for you. Whatever it takes to make the world right again.

ROSE

Good. Thank you.

CAMILLE

Thank you for coming back.

Rose acknowledges this, happy.

FADE TO:

EXT. FOREST - NIGHT

Lara runs, though it's more of a stagger. She pauses against a tree. She retches.

LARA

Oh god. Oh god. I'm so dizzy.

A few ragged breaths.

LARA

(calls)

Sodapop! Sodaaaa! Come here. Please.

Suddenly, heavy footsteps in the brush. Lara stiffens. The steps pause. Then resume.

LARA

(weakly)

Sodapop?

A low, guttural growl, like the curious sound of a very large creature.

LARA

Not Sodapop.

She steps back. Stumbles.

LARA

Whoa. Okay.

She crouches in the brush.

LARA

Oh god...what is that smell?

She retches again, suppresses the need to vomit.

ROSE (V.O.)

There are things in those woods, Lara. Things I know you can't believe in, even if you could see them.

A HUGE FIGURE moves slowly through the woods. It's massive and hairy, like a bear, but not a bear.

That's right, friends: meet the SASQUATCH.

LARA

Oh my god.

ROSE (V.O.)

That's why you shouldn't be here.

LARA

Don't look at me, don't look, don't...

Sasquatch makes a curious noise.

LARA

Oh, god.

Heavy steps move toward Lara. It breathes out a heavy whuffling sound.

Lara vomits.

LARA

Sorry. I didn't mean...

Sasquatch sniffs her. Thoroughly.

LARA

Yeah, I think I have a...do you know what a concussion is?

SASQUATCH

Hrmph?

LARA

Yeah. My head. I'm guessing it's...worse than I thought.

SASQUATCH

Hrmmph.

LARA

Yeah. You...you're not a bear, are you?

SASQUATCH

(no)

Hmphhh.

LARA

Sasquatch. That's what they call you, isn't it? That's what you are.

SASQUATCH

(yes)

Mmm-mmph.

LARA

Cool. Cool, yeah. This is...yup.

Lara sighs, leans against the tree.

LARA

God. I'm so...so tired...

SASQUATCH

Hrmphlph?

It moves toward her.

LARA

Ahhh!

She backs away quickly.

LARA

Sorry. I, uh, maybe no touching?

SASQUATCH

(shrug)

Mph.

It turns and begins to walk away.

LARA

Wait, should I -- yeah, okay, I'll follow you. Why not?

She takes a second to steady herself, then staggers after it.

LARA

Remind me to find a hospital soon.

SASQUATCH

Hrmphf.

INT. LARA'S INBOX

Back to Rose's voicemail message.

ROSE

At the center of our galaxy, there's a black hole. Did you know that? An all-consuming void that pulls all matter in and gives no light in return. That's what holds our galaxy together.

If you could hear it -- the music of the stars -- I think you'd understand. I used to think that if I caught you at the right time, you'd be able to hear it. Maybe that's why I called you. If I called you.

But, you know, I looked you up. Online. And I see you're still going. With our old business? You're selling people this thing that you think is a lie. You -- you know it is. How can someone like you possibly help me?

I've learned things, Lara. Real things. True things. You only know lies. And the fact that you know they're lies doesn't make them more true.

It can't reach you if you lie, Lara.

(sighs)

I'm sorry. It's not your fault, not really. You've never seen the world taken apart and put back together again, and I didn't know how to explain it to you. I think I yelled at you too much. I think I hurt you so you wouldn't hurt me. Which didn't work. But you know.

You should know that I really liked that haircut you got. When was it...after the Fourth of July. I didn't tell you.

It's hard to keep my thoughts in order.

I don't have time anymore. Not like I'm out of time. Like, I just don't have it.

We move closer and closer to the hole at the center of everything.

Maybe I didn't know what to do with love. Maybe love isn't real anymore.

Maybe love isn't...what was I saying?

Oh yeah. I was talking about lies. And liars.

INT. BOONE HOUSE - AS BEFORE

Sound of Mitchell Boone's machines. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Rose hurries in, Terri close on her heels.

TERRI

Rose -- wait --

Mitchell gasps awake.

MITCHELL

Rose!

ROSE

Reverend Boone.

MITCHELL

Oh, Rose -- you're back!

TERRI

Shh, Mitchell, try to stay calm.

MITCHELL

I prayed for this day. We all prayed for this day.

ROSE

That's nice. But you didn't think it would really work, did you?

MITCHELL

What?

TERRI

Rose, honey, you just got home, maybe you should rest.

ROSE

It's never going to speak to you, Dad. It doesn't speak to liars.

MITCHELL

Rose, I...

TERRI

Rose!

ROSE

I learned things, Dad. In the desert by the sea. I know things now.

Mitchell's heart rate speeds up.

TERRI

Sweetie...

ROSE

You used me, Dad. You made me think you were in charge, that you knew what it wanted, and then you told me what to do.

TERRI

Please, your father...

ROSE

And you went right along with it, didn't you, Mom? Even though you knew it wasn't true.

TERRI

I have been trying to keep this family safe.

ROSE

Not at first. At first it was just a great new way to get some power, wasn't it? Oh, it was weird, don't get me wrong. You thought your husband had gone off the deep end, and he was taking your daughter with him. But you could see the opportunity, too.

MITCHELL

The face of God...in the church...

ROSE

Oh, you saw something. But it wasn't God, was it, Reverend Boone?

TERRI

Rose, what are you talking about?

ROSE

I'm talking about your lies!

TERRI

Rose --

MITCHELL

I never --

ROSE

Do you remember the night I came home? When I left Lara. I told you about my dream.

MITCHELL

The darkness...by the sea...

ROSE

And then suddenly, you said you'd seen it too. You said you heard the stars sing.

MITCHELL

How a Rose...blooming...

TERRI

Shh, Mitchell, stay calm.

ROSE

You changed the sermons, and you pushed and you pushed until only the truest believers stayed behind.

MITCHELL

Uh...huh...

ROSE

And me.

MITCHELL

Rose...

ROSE

I thought finally, I'd come home. Like, really home. Where people understood me. I'd been lost for so long, and finally someone believed me. Somebody else knew what I knew.

MITCHELL

Yes.

ROSE

No.

TERRI

Honey, please...

ROSE

He's a liar, Mother! He's been lying this whole time.

MITCHELL

No...no...

ROSE

Your congregation was failing. Your numbers were dwindling. And you were sick.

TERRI

What? No, he got sick after...

ROSE

No. You didn't, did you, Dad? It was happening even then. You felt out of breath. Out of place. Out of time.

MITCHELL

Please...

ROSE

So you pretended to save me so that I would save you.

MITCHELL

Rose...try to understand...

ROSE

Oh, I understand. Don't worry about that. A new church, smaller but more devoted. They gave up everything for you. All the money you needed for these treatments, this equipment.

TERRI

Rose, honey, that's not fair. Your father needed that money, and the followers were glad to help.

ROSE

Sure. For Oblivion.

TERRI

For your father.

ROSE

Forget it. It doesn't matter anymore. None of it does.

MITCHELL

Rose...anything I've done...has been for the good...

ROSE

Locking me in the basement? That was good for me?

TERRI

I thought you went in there yourself.

ROSE

What about the medicine you gave me? For the visions? The ones that made me tear apart my room?

TERRI

What medicine?

MITCHELL

You were already seeing...I just wanted...to help...

ROSE

I want you to know that everything I've seen? Everything I'm bringing into the world? That was me. Not you. I never needed you. You pushed me. Confused me. Used me. But that's okay. Because it'll all be over soon.

MITCHELL

Please, Rose...the new moon...the end...

ROSE

Shh, it's okay. You don't need to worry about that anymore.

MITCHELL

What...

He gasps. Chokes. Alarms blare from the machines.

TERRI

Mitchell? Mitchell!

Rose hums quietly to herself.

Mitchell coughs wildly.

TERRI

What are you doing? What did you do?

ROSE

Nothing, Mama. Nothing at all.

Mitchell tries to speak, struggles. And then...

He goes silent.

The machine lets out a prolonged BEEEEEEEP.

TERRI

Mitchell! Get me the phone!

ROSE (V.O.)

Anyway, I guess there's really only one thing I wanted to say to you. One thing I want you to hear.

Terri grabs a phone.

TERRI

Hello? We have an emergency!

ROSE (V.O.)

Don't come back here, Lara.

The alarm fades out slowly.

INT. LARA'S INBOX

ROSE

There's nothing here for you.

BEEP.

COMPUTER VOICE

End of message.

END CREDITS

Thank you for listening to Believer! This episode was written and directed by Julie Saunders, with voice acting by Mara Hernandez, Regan Wilson, Rosa Delgado, David Pinion, Sara Gorsky, Kip Parshall, Duke Parshall, and Julie Saunders. Sound designed by Julie Saunders.

Our spotlight Patron today is Michael Armes! Michael is a Patreon supporter at the “Believer” level. He describes himself as a “scary story chaser,” which you might assume means that he likes to listen to scary stories. But no. Michael Armes is a scary story chaser. If a scary story haunts you, he will chase that story down and make it pay. You can seek out his services on Twitter at micycle_armada.

We so appreciate your patience with this episode arriving so late. There were some extremely unfortunate production delays which basically boil down to: back up your files, folks. And after you back them up, open them to make sure they were backed up correctly. And if your actor friends kept their own backups, let them know you love them. Unfortunately this delay means the finale will also be late, but don’t you worry - it will be worth it. Episode 10 is double-length, action-packed, and will hit your feeds soon. Stay tuned. 

Until then…if you’re awakened in the night by horrible rattling chains, and a deceased former friend appears to tell you that you will be haunted by three ghosts? See if you can skip the rigamarole and just donate more of your money to charity now. It’s one of those things that starts out interesting and ends with you in a hole in the ground, and nobody wants that.

Bye now.

TRANSCRIPT: 1.08 - FINGERS

A PDF of this transcript is available at this link.

A quick note - this episode contains quite a few car noises, so if you’re driving while you listen to this, please be careful.

TITLES

Believer Theme Music fades in.

NARRATOR

Believer, Episode 8: Fingers.

INT. LARA'S CABIN - MORNING

A sunny morning. Birds chirp.

Lara finishes dressing. She zips up a jacket.

On the floor, Jake stirs. Lara pauses.

JAKE

(in his sleep)

Apples for everyone...

He falls back asleep. Lara exhales.

LARA (V.O.)

For the record, I'm glad nothing happened with Jake. Well, you know, nothing much. Not that I would've been doing anything wrong. I mean, Rose was very clear about things. Not that she...oh, I don't know. It just would've complicated things, I think.

Lara pours herself a glass of water at the sink.

LARA (V.O.)

And to be honest, I still don't really know what Jake's deal was.

Lara gasps.

LARA

The water!

Jake stirs in response.

LARA

No no no, back to sleep...

Jake falls back to snoring.

LARA

Good man.

Jake snores on.

JAKE

(in his sleep)

Skunk Ape...

Lara tip-toes out.

EXT. LARA'S CABIN - CONTINUOUS

Lara walks in the tall grass.

LARA (V.O.)

It was weird leaving SodaPop's leash hanging by the door. No morning walks. No happy dog. Just sneak past the sleeping man on the floor and go about your day.

LARA

Now, where do you think the water comes from?

She take a few more steps and then...

LARA

Aha!

LARA (V.O.)

Okay, well, if mold had taken over Jake's house, then maybe that explained some of his experiences -- the lapses in memory, the odd behavior. But what if there was more? What if there really was something in the water?

She clears aside some grass...and gasps.

LARA

What the...

LARA (V.O.)

Jake had his own water pump. Probably for a well system instead of the city water program -- pretty common in rural areas like this. And growing all around it, under the grass, close to the ground, were these...

LARA

What are those?

LARA (V.O.)

They were like little mushrooms. Tiny, black, oily-looking lumps with sickly gray stems and dark caps. At first I thought they were just growing around the water pump -- you know, moist soil and all that -- but when I looked closely I could see...

LARA

Oh my god.

LARA (V.O.)

There were tiny cracks in the pipe around every little mushroom. They were growing inside the water pump.

She pulls out a little baggy and snips some out of the dirt.

LARA (V.O.)

So I took some samples.

Lara straightens up, wipes her hands on her jacket.

LARA

I should see that doctor.

INT. SIMMONS'S LAB - MOMENTS LATER

Machines whir. Simmons shuffles through papers with an urgent, busy air.

SIMMONS

(to herself)

Now, yes, if you line up the mycelia at just this angle -- yes! Yes! But this -- and that -- you've almost got it, Penelope.

Lara taps on the door and opens it.

LARA

Doctor Simmons? Your assistant said...

SIMMONS

No entry!

LARA

Oh, sorry, I just --

SIMMONS

This area is restricted. You'll have to go back to the waiting area, Miss --

LARA

Campbell. Lara Campbell?

SIMMONS

Lara Campbell. Lara Campbell? Lara Campbell!

LARA

Uh. Yeah.

SIMMONS

Come in, come in.

LARA

Yeah, um, Camille said that you'd been trying to...whoa.

SIMMONS

What? Oh, don't mind that. Just doing a bit of research.

LARA

This is all research? Taped onto the walls and cabinets and...everything?

SIMMONS

Oh!

(laughs)

It's a bit unorthodox, isn't it? It's just easier to see this way. I like to lay it all out, you know, make sense of it.

Lara steps into the room, distracted.

LARA

Yeah. Can I ask -- what are these lines?

SIMMONS

You recognize those?

LARA

Maybe. What are they?

SIMMONS

That, my dear, is the mycorrhizal network.

LARA

Myco-what?

SIMMONS

Mycology. Fungus. Fungal networks.

LARA

Like mushrooms?

SIMMONS

Yes! Well, no. Mushrooms are just the bit we see, the reproductive organs. No, no, fungi are so much more than that. They project themselves meters underground, burrowing deep, making connections between nutrients and elements.

LARA

So like tree roots?

SIMMONS

No, no, no. On a DNA level, they have more in common with humans than plants.

LARA

Wait -- really?

SIMMONS

So you can think of them as limbs.

LARA

(realizing)

Fingers. Reaching through the dirt.

SIMMONS

(indifferent)

If you like.

Simmons moves a sheaf of papers aside.

SIMMONS

Here, look.

Lara moves close.

SIMMONS

This. You see this diagram?

LARA

The trees?

SIMMONS

This is a forest. This is what we see when we look at a forest. Different trees, ferns, bushes, plants. Distinct organisms. Yes?

LARA

Sure.

SIMMONS

But underneath, underneath the dirt -- look.

(flips a page)

Everything is connected.

LARA

What do you mean?

SIMMONS

Okay. Trees have roots, right? To survive, trees need to synthesize light from the sun. But they also need to draw water and other nutrients up from the dirt. Hence, roots.

LARA

Right.

SIMMONS

But there are trees who get cut off from their food sources and still manage to thrive. There are even plants that never experience sunlight. And they still live. How?

LARA

I guess they...

SIMMONS

Mycelia! You see, the trees send out roots. But roots only get them so far. Fungus -- fungus fills in the gaps. Each fungus sends out these long strings, these tendrils --

LARA

Lines.

SIMMONS

They have more control over where they place them, how they travel.

And if they place themselves next to a tree's roots, they can communicate.

LARA

So they attach themselves? Like parasites?

SIMMONS

Not parasites. Symbiotes. An exchange. The tree secretes glucose. In return, the fungal network carries water, carbon, phosphorus -- whatever the tree needs to survive. And not just that! Information, Lara. There have been cases where one tree develops a disease, and the other trees around it boost their disease resistance in response. They talk to each other. Through the fungal network.

LARA

That's...crazy.

SIMMONS

You see, don't you? We think of the forest as just an area. A collection of trees. Separate things. But no. It's a single organism. The fungus is its central nervous system.

LARA

Every forest is like this?

SIMMONS

This is what it is, Lara. Life. All life. We are all worlds inside of worlds inside of worlds. A body full of organisms full of cells. Do you see it? Do you see?

LARA

Yeah. Yeah, it's, um, interesting.

SIMMONS

Interesting? Interesting?! This is vital. This is the stuff of life itself!

LARA

Yes. Yeah.

SIMMONS

You don't see. None of them can see.

LARA

No, actually, I came here to ask you -- well, I found this weird kind of mushroom inside somebody's water pipes.

SIMMONS

(very excited)

What?! Show me.

LARA

Uh, well, I got a little sample -- hey!

She pulls out the bag. Simmons snatches it away.

SIMMONS

Let me see.

She inspects.

SIMMONS

Oh yes. Oh yes. Let me see, where are the other sample photos...

She rapidly rummages through stacks of paper, sending papers flying.

LARA

Those lines...is that what it actually looks like? The fungus?

SIMMONS

(distracted)

Well, it's an artist's rendering.

LARA

Just like Rose's room.

SIMMONS

Hm?

LARA

Nothing. This fungus -- can it make people sick?

SIMMONS

Why do you think I'm studying this, exactly? For fun? Lara -- can I call you Lara?

LARA

(she's been calling her Lara for like 5 minutes) Uh, yeah.

SIMMONS

Fungal infection is one of the most common types of illness a person can have. That's what yeast infections are.

LARA

Ew. Really?

SIMMONS

Yeast is a fungus. They're everywhere!

LARA

Well, that's...

SIMMONS

Breathe in the spores, consume contaminated food, eat the wrong mushroom...they think fungal-infected wheat could be the cause of the Salem Witch Trials, did you know that?

LARA

I heard something about that.

SIMMONS

Most cause regular respiratory infections, skin inflammation, that kind of thing. But a few -- here.

She rips several pages off the wall and reads.

SIMMONS

Cryptococcus can penetrate the blood-brain barrier and cause confusion, disorientation, sensitivity to light.

LARA

Huh.

SIMMONS

Candida Albicansis, when spread to the brain, causes symptoms remarkably similar to Alzheimer's Disease.

LARA

It can cause memory loss?

SIMMONS

Memory loss, confusion, disorientation, all kinds of mental and neurological symptoms.

LARA

So what kind of fungus did I find?

SIMMONS

Lara. You understand, don't you? Something is infecting this town. Not just the people, though it's getting them too. No. It's everything, Lara. The plants, the animals, the dirt itself. You've seen it, haven't you? There are a few vector sites -- the Boone House, the condemned church, a few spots in the woods. Anyone who comes into contact with them becomes violently ill. Everyone. Except you.

LARA

Yeah. That's weird, right?

Simmons moves closer to Lara.

SIMMONS

I will study this sample. But if we really want to defeat this, we're going to need more. Much more. You understand?

LARA

I can check the rest of the water supply. Maybe a few more of those sites have these mushrooms at them.

SIMMONS

I need a sample from you, Lara. To see the antibodies.

LARA

Oh. Of course.

SIMMONS

So you agree? To a sample?

LARA

Yeah, if you think it'll help.

SIMMONS

I think it's very important, Lara.

LARA

Okay...so do you want to do a cheek swab, or...?

SIMMONS

Let me take some readings first.

She tightens a velcro strap around Lara's arm.

LARA

Oh -- is this for a blood pressure monitor, or...?

SIMMONS

It's all standard, dear.

She straps down the other arm.

LARA

Are you...strapping me to the chair? I don't think I'm comfortable having both arms restrained.

Simmons laughs, a little unhinged.

SIMMONS

Don't be silly!

Simmons forcefully tightens the strap.

LARA

Ow!

SIMMONS

Now, the best method for killing fungus is beta-glucan targeting. The body doesn't produce beta-glucans. So you target what's unique about the fungus itself. In the wild, nitrogen, bleach, that kind of thing is fine, but in the body...now where did I put that...

LARA

Doctor Simmons --

SIMMONS

Here we go! Now, just hold still...

LARA

Whoa, hey, don't you usually use a syringe?

SIMMONS

Oh, yes, but you see, I need so much blood, it just seems more efficient to use the scalpel, don't you think?

LARA

Um, no? Whoa!

Lara scoots the chair quickly back across the floor.

SIMMONS

Oh! Now, you see? I've missed! If I'd known you were squeamish, I would've done your legs. Let's -- try -- again!

They struggle. Simmons lunges at Lara, who pulls back again, strains against the straps, scrapes the chair back and forth.

LARA

No!

SIMMONS

Now it's very important that you -- hold -- still!

Lara screams.

LARA

Somebody help me! Help!

SIMMONS

Oh, dear, she can't hear you. Though now that you mention it, I would be better off getting cerebro-spinal fluid.

LARA

This is now how you do a spinal tap!

Simmons lunges for Lara again. Lara kicks her. Simmons GRUNTS and falls backward. She takes a few breaths, steadies herself.

SIMMONS

You know what? You're right. This is insane.

LARA

Uh-huh.

SIMMONS

I need a much better tool.

Simmons grabs a BONE SAW. Revs it up.

LARA

Why would you even have a bone saw in here? This isn't an operating room!

SIMMONS

(duh)

It's a lab! You need all sorts of things!

She lunges at Lara. Lara struggles, twists, and finally breaks free of one restraint.

LARA

Ha!

SIMMONS

Now if you slip the restraints, this gets so much more complicated.

LARA

Ahhh!

Arm free, Lara deflects Simmons just in time. Simmons trips backward and slams into a counter full of lab equipment.

Lara quickly pulls off the other velcro strap and scrambles to her feet.

SIMMONS

Lara, please, if you'll just sit back down, this could save a lot of people.

LARA

Stay away from me!

The saw whirs. Lara shoves the chair at Simmons, who falls over. Lara races to the door, wrenches it open, and dashes back into --

INT. LARA'S INBOX

VOICEMAIL

At the end of your message, press one.

BEEP!

JAKE

Hey, Lara, it's Jake. Listen, I hope it wasn't too awkward when, uh... well, I hope you got out okay this morning. Anyway, uh, I went back to my house earlier and -- you'll never believe this -- my house is covered in black mold. Must've grown overnight. We're talking all over the walls, absolutely everywhere. Crazy, right? Anyway, I'm gonna stay at my friend Abe's for a while until I can get it taken care of. So if you come back and I'm not there, that's why. But, you know, if you want to you should -- I mean, you can call me. If you need anything. And try to stay out of the main house, okay? There's, like, a lot of mold. Must be something with the rain or something. Okay. Okay, okay. See you around.

VOICEMAIL

End of message.

EXT. BOONE HOUSE - LATER

Lara runs on the sidewalk, breathing hard. She stops to catch her breath.

An AMBULANCE rushes past, siren blaring.

LARA

(out of breath)

An ambulance...? I didn't know they had those out here.

The front door of the BOONE HOUSE opens. TERRI BOONE and SHERIFF TATE emerge, in conversation.

SHERIFF

Well, if anything else comes up, don't hesitate to call.

TERRI

Thank you, Sheriff Tate. Now if...

(sees Lara)

What the hell?

LARA

Uh...

TERRI

Lara Campbell? Are you kidding me?!

LARA

Terri Boone? How did I get to your house? God, I swear this town is like, ten feet wide.

SHERIFF

Is there a problem here, Terri?

TERRI

I'd say so.

LARA

No, listen, I swear I didn't come here on purpose. I just had to get away from -- actually, Sheriff, I really need to talk to you. It's about the doctor.

Sodapop races out through the still-open front door of the Boone House.

LARA

Oh, Sodapop! Hey, buddy.

Rose follows after him.

ROSE

Sodapop!

(she stops)

Lara?

LARA

Rose.

ROSE

What are you doing here?

LARA

Okay, so, like I was just explaining, I was running away from Doctor Simmons.

SHERIFF

Penelope Simmons?

LARA

She attacked me.

SHERIFF

What?

TERRI

(overlapping)

Oh, come on.

LARA

Listen, this stuff you guys have been messing with -- it's so dangerous. It messes with your head. Doctor Simmons has been experimenting with it and it's just driving her -- well, if you come with me, you'll see.

TERRI

Right. Everyone's crazy but you, right Lara?

LARA

That's not what I said.

SHERIFF

Right, but this -- what did you say it was?

LARA

It's a kind of fungus. I think.

SHERIFF

And this fungus doesn't affect you?

LARA

No, I seem to have some kind of immunity.

TERRI

Isn't that convenient? Everyone else has the problem.

SHERIFF

Sure sounds convenient to me.

LARA

No, listen -- I found mushrooms in the water supply, mold in the house, and Reverend Boone's church --

SHERIFF

So you did trespass at the church? After our conversation the other day?

LARA

Um, that's not really -- that's not what I'm trying to say.

TERRI

You know what? I really cannot deal with you right now.

SHERIFF

Terri, why don't you go back inside. I'll handle this.

TERRI

I want it clear that she's trespassing, Sheriff.

SHERIFF

I know, Terri.

LARA

Wait -- Terri -- Mayor Boone --

TERRI

Just -- get her out of here.

Terri storms back inside. The front door SLAMS behind her.

ROSE

(offended)

A fungus, Lara?

LARA

The symptoms -- everything that's been happening. It's consistent with a toxic fungus outbreak.

ROSE

Why would you think that?

LARA

The doctor and I talked it over.

SHERIFF

The doctor who attacked you.

LARA

Well, I mean, before that.

SHERIFF

Okay. Why don't you come with me, and we'll discuss it further, okay?

LARA

Um...

ROSE

Sheriff, wait.

Lara. I heard you've been to the woods. The Sanctum. You saw the basement.

LARA

Yeah.

ROSE

And you think all of that is fungus.

LARA

Well, if you look at how fungal networks work, then the images you drew...god, how do I explain this?

ROSE

Why do you do this, Lara?

LARA

Do what?

ROSE

You take the things I love -- the things I believe in -- and you make them sound so...small. So stupid.

LARA

That's not what I'm trying to do.

ROSE

This is real, Lara. And it's bigger than you know.

LARA

I know it feels that way, but...

ROSE

Would you stop? I swear to God, every time I try to tell you...it's not all in my head, Lara. It never was.

LARA

I don't mean it like that. Just because something's in your head doesn't mean (it's not real.)

ROSE

(overlapping)

Just...enough. Please.

SHERIFF

Alright, Miss Campbell.

LARA

Rose -- wait --

ROSE

Just get her out of here, please.

LARA

If I could just (explain it all -- )

SHERIFF

(cuts her off)

That's enough, Miss Campbell. Now I can give you a ride home or I can take you down to the Sheriff's station in The Dalles. Your choice.

LARA

Okay.

(beat, to Rose:)

I'm sorry.

SHERIFF

Come on.

They take a few steps on the grass. SodaPop whines.

ROSE

Lara -- wait.

Lara turns, hopeful.

LARA

Yeah?

ROSE

You should take the dog.

LARA

SodaPop?

He whines again.

ROSE

He shouldn't be here. He needs -- you need to take him away.

LARA

Are you sure? He seems so happy.

ROSE

I can't...it's better. If he's not here.

LARA

Rose, if we could just talk...please.

ROSE

Take him back to Portland and...and I'll call you. Okay? We can talk.

LARA

Okay. Yeah. I guess that's best.

ROSE

It is.

LARA

Um, Sheriff, do you mind if I take him?

SHERIFF

Fine. Just stick him in the back.

Lara picks up Sodapop. He CRIES loudly.

SHERIFF

Is he going to cry like that the whole time?

LARA

Um...probably.

SHERIFF

(sighs)

Well, come on then.

ROSE

Goodbye, puppy.

SodaPop whines.

ROSE

I'm sorry. I hope...I hope you understand someday.

SHERIFF

Let's go, Miss Campbell. I've got other business today, you know.

LARA

Yeah...okay.

She takes a few steps in the grass.

LARA

Goodbye, Rose.

ROSE

Goodbye.

Lara sighs. Sodapop whines. Lara walks away.

EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - LATER

The SUV drives down a quiet road. In the backseat, SodaPop whines.

LARA

I can't believe you had a dog seat belt back there.

SHERIFF

Well, my wife and I take the Shih Tzu out with us.

LARA

Oh, you have a Shih Tzu? They're cute.

SHERIFF

Wife's idea.

LARA

Right...um, you see what I'm saying about Doctor Simmons, though, right?

SHERIFF

(unconcerned)

I will go see her as soon as I drop you off.

LARA

And the water supply?

SHERIFF

I'll mention it at the next city council meeting.

LARA

(annoyed)

Sure. That'll solve it.

The car suddenly THUMPS over something in the road, then swerves. Tires SQUEAL.

SHERIFF

Shit!

LARA

What was that?

SHERIFF

Hold on!

LARA

Is that a deer?

SHERIFF

It was a possum. I think.

A loud WHUMP as something drops onto the top of the car.

LARA

Is something...falling on us?

SHERIFF

Probably just pine cones.

WHUMP, WHUMP. Muffled ANIMAL CACKLES. The sound of skittering feet.

LARA

There's something on top of the car.

SHERIFF

Could be raccoons. They climb the trees, but I've never seen one drop onto a car --

WHUMP, WHUMP, little feet SCRATCHING. And then suddenly, a loud HISS.

LARA

Oh my god, it's trying to come through the sunroof.

SHERIFF

Close it!

LARA

(overlapping)

How do you -- where's the button?

SHERIFF

(overlapping)

Little busy here! This road is a mess.

LARA

(overlapping)

Let me just --

A RACCOON squeals and then falls into the cabin of the car, hissing.

Sodapop BARKS frantically.

SHERIFF

Shit! Oh, shit!

LARA

Raccoon in the car! Raccoon in the car!

The Raccoon HISSES viciously.

LARA

Ahhh! I think there's something wrong with it.

Sodapop BARKS again.

LARA

Sodapop, no! Leave it.

SHERIFF

Get it off me! Get it off me!

Lara grabs it. The raccoon SQUEALS.

LARA

Stop the car!

SHERIFF

I'm trying, but the breaks...!

LARA

Okay, come here, you demonic little -- ahh!

It hisses again.

Another few THUMPS on the roof.

LARA

Close that sunroof, would you? Let me get the window --

She rolls down the window, throws out the raccoon with a grunt.

LARA

There. Jesus, it rolled over and just started chasing the car --

KA-WHAM! An ELK slams into the side of the car. Lara screams.

SHERIFF

Where'd that elk come from?

LARA

You have got to stop the car.

SHERIFF

The breaks are out. I'm trying to slow it down, but --

He honks the horn. Tires squeal. More THUMPS on the roof and sides of the car.

LARA

Oh my god. Oh my god.

SHERIFF

Come on, come on, come on...

LARA

Look out for that --

BAM! Something slams into the car. It spins out of control. Tires squeal.

SHERIFF

Hold oooon!

Lara screams.

And CRASHHHHHHHHH! The car crashes into a tree.

And...THUD. Silence from the passengers. A long, sustained HORN SOUND as Sheriff Tate rests against the wheel.

END OF EPISODE

Thank you for listening to Believer! This episode was written and directed by Julie Saunders. Voice acting by Jason Markoff, Samantha Simmonds Ronceros, Rosa Delgado, Regen Wilson, Julie Saunders, and Archie. Sound design by Chad Ellis and Julie Saunders.

We are just two episodes away from the end of season one, so now is a great time to tell your friends about the show. Maybe you know someone with some travel coming up who might like some spooky listening? I hear this show pairs well with Tunnels, which just published their SERIES FINALE. Tunnels is a serialized audio drama about the mysterious tunnels beneath a small Georgia town, the things that live within them, and the people who want to control them. Find out more at HauntedGriffin.com. That’s griffin spelled “g-r-i-f-f-i-n.”

This episode was recorded using Zencastr and features music and effects from Epidemic Sound. If you’re interested in either of those services, please use our referral link - it’s in the show notes or you can find it at BelieverPodcast.com/support. That page also includes information about our Patreon and a link to our Teepublic store, for all the Believer fans in your life. Once again, that’s BelieverPodcast.com/support.

The next episode will be out in just a few weeks. Until then, if the temperature suddenly drops, and you feel a chill on the back of your neck that nobody else seems to notice…you’ve probably been out in the cold for too long. Get into shelter, and wear a scarf next time. Unless it’s not cold where you are. Then it might be a ghostly warning to get your iron and thyroid levels tested. Both can make you sensitive to the cold. Thank you, Doctor Ghost.

Bye now.

TRANSCRIPT: 1.07 - The Herald

A PDF version of this transcript is available for download at this link.

EXT. FOREST - NIGHT

As before. The rain quiets a little. Camille, Lara, and Rose

stand among the trees. SodaPop wags his tail happily.

Rose is oddly calm, as if they just ran into each other on

the street or something.

LARA

Rose.

ROSE

Hello, Lara.

CAMILLE

Rose! Oh, Lara, I knew you'd help us

find her.

ROSE

You came to find me?

LARA

Um, yeah.

ROSE

But I'm right here.

LARA

I see that.

SodaPop barks happily.

ROSE

SodaPop found me. Is that why you

came?

LARA

No, I brought him. He missed you,

though.

ROSE

I missed him too.

(to SodaPop)

Good boy, baby. Oh, your hair is

getting so long!

(to Lara)

Do you still go to that same groomer?

What was her name -- Annie?

LARA

Um, no, we had to switch when we

moved out of the Hawthorne District.

We're up by St. John's now. I found

this place --

CAMILLE

Um, excuse me, I'm sorry, I don't

want to interrupt. But I'm so glad we

found you, Rose! You know the New

Moon is almost here.

LARA

Camille, not now.

ROSE

It's all right. I know all about the

New Moon. Are you going back to my

father's house? I'll walk with you.

She walks past them.

LARA

Yeah, let's...do that.

They follow her through the brush.

LARA (V.O.)

I can't tell you what it was like,

seeing her again. Almost

anticlimactic. Like we just walked

into the woods and...there she was.

Not hurt, not scared, just...fine.

LARA

Rose, are you okay?

ROSE

Of course. Why?

LARA

Well, do we need to go pick up your

supplies or a campsite, or...?

ROSE

I have everything I need.

LARA

But...where have you been?

Rose stops walking. The question seems to confuse her.

ROSE

I've been right here.

2.

CAMILLE

Rose, your father will be so excited

to see you. We've all been worried.

ROSE

But I'm fine.

LARA

Rose...how long do you think you've

been gone? Because it's been at least

two weeks.

ROSE

Two weeks? No, that can't be right.

CAMILLE

You must feel so much more connected

with the Hand of God. I bet you know

exactly how to call Oblivion now.

ROSE

I know everything I need to know.

LARA

Do you remember calling me?

ROSE

(very surprised)

Why would I call you?

LARA

You said you needed help, and that I

should come see you. You said you

wanted me to hear something?

ROSE

That doesn't sound like me.

LARA

I know. That's why I came.

ROSE

(pets SodaPop)

Well, as long as I get to see this

little fluffy-face.

SodaPop makes happy dog noises.

CAMILLE

There's still a lot to do before the

New Moon. We've been doing vision

ceremonies every day, but we still

haven't found all the materials yet.

3.

ROSE

I'm sure you're doing fine, Camille.

Camille falters.

CAMILLE

I didn't -- I didn't know you knew my

name.

ROSE

I know everything I need to know,

Camille.

CAMILLE

(to herself)

Wow.

LARA

Rose...

ROSE

Lara. Stop worrying! I'm fine.

SodaPop whines happily. Rose laughs.

ROSE

See? SodaPop knows.

He pants happily.

LARA

I guess.

ROSE

He still loves me, doesn't he?

LARA

Yeah.

LARA (V.O.)

She was so beautiful.

CAMILLE

Rose? I think we should hurry.

ROSE

Okay.

They walk faster.

FADE TO:

4.

EXT. BOONE HOUSE - NIGHT

They walk up a quiet street. SodaPop runs around

investigating smells, happy as can be.

CAMILLE

Almost home, Miss Boone.

ROSE

Hm.

LARA

Wait. Rose. Maybe you shouldn't go

back yet.

They stop walking.

ROSE

Why not? If it's really been two

weeks, I mean, that's plenty of time.

Lara can't think of what to say.

LARA

Um. Are you sure you don't want to

see a doctor? You could be dehydrated

from all that time in the woods.

ROSE

I feel fine, Lara.

LARA

But --

ROSE

Honestly -- I'm really sorry, I

didn't want to do this now, but -- I

don't understand why you're here.

LARA

You asked me to come.

ROSE

I really doubt that.

LARA

You left me a message.

CAMILLE

(conspiratorial)

She keeps saying her voicemails won't

play.

5.

LARA

Camille!

CAMILLE

Sorry. I'm not involved.

ROSE

Look, I...thank you for bringing

SodaPop. It's great to see him. But I

really don't think there's anything

for you to do here.

LARA

If...if we could just talk...

ROSE

I don't think we need to do that,

Lara.

LARA

But...

ROSE

Lara, there's nothing to say. Okay?

Go home.

(hesitates, softens)

I'll call you. Okay?

LARA

Okay.

Rose walks away. SodaPop follows.

LARA

SodaPop!

SodaPop hesitates. He sneezes, then runs after Rose.

LARA

Oh. No, you can go with Rose too.

That's...that makes sense.

Camille follows Rose. She stops.

CAMILLE

Listen, um, I guess we don't really

need you here after all.

LARA

Yeah. I'm getting that.

6.

CAMILLE

You should see my mom, though. The

doctor. She really wants to see you.

Okay?

LARA

Yeah. Okay.

ROSE

(calls)

Camille -- are you coming?

CAMILLE

Coming!

(to Lara)

Okay. Uh. Good night.

She runs off after Rose. SodaPop barks and whines happily.

LARA

Wait -- can I get a ride back to my

car? It's all the way back at the...

church...

The door of the Boone House opens and closes. They're gone.

LARA

Okay, yeah. I can walk.

EXT. FOREST ROAD - NIGHT

Night sounds. Lara walks on the gravel.

LARA (V.O.)

I just kind of...walked around for a

while after that. I figured I'd

eventually end up back at the cabin.

Lara's footsteps on the gravel.

An ANIMAL CALLS in the distance.

LARA (V.O.)

For the record, Rose was the one who

actually left in the end. She's the

one who moved out. Not that I was...

there just came a point where I

couldn't help her. I didn't know what

to do. Though, I don't know, maybe

that's not fair. See, something

happened in that last year we were

together.

7.

I still don't really understand it.

There was the thing with my brother

and my mom's house and the water

hammer. And then I started to notice

other things, too. I learned about

cold reading and cognitive biases and

illusory correlations... It was like

everything I thought I knew about the

world was coming apart. One after

another. I started to see why I'd

never been able to get conclusive

evidence of the things I thought I

saw. It was... consuming. So I guess

I was distracted. Because I didn't

really notice what was going on with

Rose until it was too late, I think.

Lara sings softly to herself.

LARA

(sings)

Creepy road in the middle of the

night, doo-dah, doo-dah... Creepy

road, no end in sight, oh, doo-dahday...

LARA (V.O.)

She started to get...erratic.

Disconnected. She'd disappear for

hours, sometimes overnight, and then

come back like nothing happened. We

started fighting over -- nothing,

anything, just dumb things. She was

distracted a lot, but wouldn't tell

me why. And she had these nightmares.

She claimed not to remember them, but

sometimes in her sleep, she said

things...and then during the day,

she'd say them again. Quietly. To

herself. God, if I hadn't been so

wrapped up in myself, I might have

put it together earlier. Something

wasn't right. Rose wasn't...well.

LARA

(sings)

Gonna walk all day, gonna walk all

night, on this creepy road I sing

this song, oh, doo-dah --

Twigs snap in the trees. Lara stops.

8.

LARA

Hello? Is someone there?

No response. She keeps walking, hums softly.

LARA

(to herself)

Why does anyone live in the woods?

LARA (V.O.)

By the time I thought to tell her to

see someone, it just...came out

wrong. It sounded like an attack. It

probably was an attack. Everything

was an attack by then. I was angry

and hurting; she was angry and

confused. We were in our own painful

little worlds, I guess, and there was

no way to communicate through that

anymore.

(sighs)

Anyway. One day she was just...gone.

Went to her parents' house. I thought

it might be good for her.

Another group of twigs. Lara stops.

LARA

Who's there?

LARA (V.O.)

I can see why she hates me, though.

LARA

Hello?

She gasps. Lara steps back.

LARA (V.O.)

So anyway. I was walking. It was

dark. And then it got really dark.

LARA

Where did this fog come from? I can

barely see the trees...

Lara walks around. She stops.

LARA

There was a tree. Right there. There

was...I'm on the road. Right?

She turns again, then turns back.

9.

LARA

No way.

LARA (V.O.)

I could see the road, somewhere far

behind me. Trees extended back the

way I'd come. But ahead of me...

LARA

Nothing. It's...it's nothing.

Drone/music rises as the nothingness approaches.

LARA (V.O.)

Absolute absence. Just this void of

darkness in every direction. But it

wasn't peaceful. It was...reaching. I

mean, I know it wasn't, but -- it

felt like it was looking for

something. Like it was reaching for

me.

LARA

This isn't happening. This can't be

real.

A trill of drone sound.

Lara turns and runs.

LARA (V.O.)

I didn't know what else to do. I ran.

Lara runs. Pants. She trips, stumbles, and sprints,

desperate. The rumble, the creepiness rises.

LARA (V.O.)

It was like a dream. Maybe it was a

dream. I ran and ran, but there was

nowhere to go. I swear, I pushed

until my lungs burned, until I

couldn't feel my feet, until...and

the road was still just as far away

as it was before.

LARA

(rasps)

Please...please...

(screams)

Somebody help me!

She slips, falls, scrambles in the dirt.

10.

LARA

Oof!

LARA (V.O.)

And just like that...

Lara sniffs.

LARA

(it smells awful)

What's that smell? Oh, god.

Two big, heavy FOOTSTEPS.

LARA

Oh my god.

LARA (V.O.)

I don't -- I don't think we need to

talk about what I saw next, actually.

I mean, it wasn't really there,

anyway. I probably swallowed some of

the hallucinogenic cult tea. And I

hadn't eaten or drunk anything for a

long time. It was just a random trick

of the imagination. Only a few

seconds long.

A softer version of the strange animal cry -- like a puma,

bear, and elephant trumpeting at once.

LARA

(quiet)

Bigfoot?

The heavy footsteps step toward her. A small, questioning

sound.

LARA

Are you...the Sasquatch?

Step. Step. And then it turns and LEAPS away, with a little

grunt.

LARA

Wait! Come back...

But it's gone. Quiet, tranquil forest night sounds.

LARA

Wow.

Lara slowly gets up.

11.

LARA (V.O.)

So really, we should just move on.

LARA

Oh. The cabin. I'm home.

She walks across the gravel. She stops. She turns around.

EXT. JAKE'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Lara knocks on the door. Jake answers.

JAKE

Lara? Are you okay?

LARA

We found Rose.

JAKE

Oh. Good.

LARA

Yeah, she's...she's...

(bursts into tears)

She's good! Everything's so good.

JAKE

Okay, uh, why don't you come inside?

LARA

Okay.

He pulls the door open. She walks into...

INT. JAKE'S HOUSE - ENTRYWAY

Jake closes the door behind Lara.

LARA

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. This day has

just been really...weird.

JAKE

It's okay, really. You want a drink?

LARA

Please. Mind if I take off my shoes?

They're pretty soaked.

JAKE

Of course! Make yourself at home.

12.

He steps toward the kitchen. Lara removes her shoes and

coat.

LARA

I've been out in the rain for hours.

After we found Rose.

JAKE

Wait -- Rose was missing?

Lara sighs.

LARA

Yes, Jake. Rose was missing.

JAKE

Is she okay?

LARA

She was in the woods. Just like

everyone said. And she was fine. Just

like everyone said.

JAKE

That's good, though, right?

(hands her a glass)

Here.

LARA

What is this?

JAKE

Whiskey.

Lara drinks it. She coughs.

LARA

Oh my god! This is awful.

JAKE

I can get you a beer if you want.

LARA

Nobody likes beer, Jake. It's just

the first thing we could afford and

now we all think it's what alcohol

tastes like.

JAKE

Even Pabst?

LARA

Especially Pabst.

13.

JAKE

(disagree noise)

Pshh.

LARA

Sorry. I'm...I'm out of my mind.

Lara takes another drink. She gags.

LARA

It's growing on me.

JAKE

Come on. I've got a fire going. You

must be freezing.

LARA

I am, actually.

They take a few steps. Jake stops.

JAKE

Wait -- Rose was missing?

Lara groans.

INT. JAKE'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER

A soft fire in the fireplace. Quiet rain outside.

LARA

I went out there with Camille -- you

know her? Anyway, the reasons don't

really matter, I guess. You wouldn't

believe me if I told you.

JAKE

Come on, I'm a great listener.

LARA

Well, the point is that once we got

back to the Boone house, Rose just...

told me to leave. She doesn't want to

talk, she doesn't remember leaving me

a message. And now she's safe, she

has my dog, and she never wants to

see me again.

(drinks)

This whiskey is actually growing on

me. An acquired taste?

14.

JAKE

I guess so.

He refills her glass.

JAKE

That sucks, Lara. About Rose. And

SodaPop! Are you gonna get him back,

or...?

LARA

I have no idea. Maybe I should just

leave him here. He was always her

baby, anyway. He'd definitely rather

be with her than me.

JAKE

Come on, I've seen that dog with you.

He's your dog.

Lara sighs.

LARA

You know, Rose and I broke up, like,

a long time ago.

JAKE

I wondered. You know, she didn't even

tell us you guys were lesbians.

LARA

She's a lesbian. I'm...

JAKE

Oh?

LARA

Pansexual, I guess. I like who I

like.

JAKE

So like, women and men?

LARA

Women, men, neither, both. I like who

I like.

JAKE

Okay.

Lara slides the whiskey bottle over to Jake.

15.

LARA

Drink more. So it's not just me.

JAKE

If you insist...

He pours another drink.

LARA

I can't believe she didn't want to

see me. I mean, I can. But I just

feel so stupid.

JAKE

Listen, Lara, Rose...what's the nice

way to say this? She's got problems.

LARA

Well, now I just feel bad.

JAKE

Okay, how about she's got problems...

if she can't see how great you are?

LARA

I doubt that.

(drinks)

Good save, though.

JAKE

Come on! You're the Lara Campbell.

You solved the Brigittine Haunting.

Banished the Corwin House Entity.

LARA

With Rose.

JAKE

Okay, well, you've kept it going on

your own.

LARA

I guess.

JAKE

Do you know how cool it was to take

Lara Campbell on a Squatch Walk?

LARA

That was fun.

(beat)

Have you ever -- have you ever seen

Sasquatch?

16.

JAKE

Not yet. But they're out there. I

mean, you saw the tree markers.

LARA

So you wouldn't know if they look

kind of like...

JAKE

Like what? Did you see something?

LARA

I, um...no. I was upset and it was

dark and...I think it was just a

really mossy tree, actually.

JAKE

Did it smell like sulfur? Make a

sound like an elephant mixed with a

lion? Or a high-pitched, chirping

call?

LARA

It, um...no. I -- it was nothing.

JAKE

Are you sure? Because I could get one

of my lures, if you remember where it

was.

LARA

No. No. Let's just sit here and

drink.

She shudders.

JAKE

What are -- you shivering? Are you

cold?

LARA

It's fine.

JAKE

Of course you are, you're still

soaked from the rain. How long were

you out there?

LARA

I don't know, I had to walk back

and...

17.

JAKE

Here. My mom keeps sending me these

throw blankets. No idea what to do

with them.

He grabs a blanket.

LARA

They're throw blankets, right? Pretty

sure you throw them.

JAKE

Well, let's just put this one around

your shoulders. Don't want to spill

the drink.

LARA

Yeah...

A beat. A moment. They are very close to each other.

JAKE

There.

LARA

(softly)

Thanks.

JAKE

(clears throat)

I'll just, uh, I'll put another log

on the fire.

LARA

You can stay over here. On the couch.

With me. If you want.

JAKE

No, uh, that's...okay.

He pulls open the wood stove, adds another log.

LARA

Um. Cheers.

JAKE

Cheers.

They clink glasses. They drink.

JAKE

Actually it is warmer. Over here.

18.

LARA

Yeah.

A beat.

LARA

Jake?

JAKE

Yeah?

LARA

Do you want to kiss me?

JAKE

Uh...yeah.

LARA

Okay.

FADE TO:

INT. JAKE'S HOUSE - BEDROOM

Lara and Jake pull the door open, giggling.

LARA

So, this is the bedroom.

JAKE

This is where the magic happens.

LARA

(teasing)

Eww, that's not what you tell girls,

is it?

JAKE

It's a saying. People say that.

Lara laughs.

LARA

Okay, well, if I'm gonna...

She stops. Her tone changes.

LARA

Jake -- what is that?

19.

JAKE

What? Oh, yeah, that's a joke. I

don't actually like Justin Bieber.

See, my little cousin wanted to see

him live, and she didn't have anyone

to go with, so I said...

LARA

No, those black streaks in your

walls. All around the bed.

JAKE

What?

LARA

Right there. It looks like some kind

of...mold, maybe?

JAKE

I really don't know what you're

talking about.

LARA

You don't see that?

JAKE

See what, Lara?

LARA

You've been sleeping in this room.

Right there.

JAKE

Uh, yeah. That's my bed.

LARA

Oh my god. Oh my god.

JAKE

Okay, um, I'm sorry if the room is

kind of a mess, but I wasn't really,

you know, expecting anybody.

LARA

Jake, you have a serious mold

problem. Do you know what that can do

to you? Breathing that in night after

night?

JAKE

Lara, there's nothing there!

20.

LARA

Is this why...is this why you've been

so...

JAKE

What?

Lara sighs.

JAKE

Did I do something wrong?

LARA

No. I'm -- I'm sorry. I don't think

you're really in a mental state to do

something like this right now.

JAKE

I feel fine. I mean, yeah, I've had a

couple of drinks...

LARA

Okay, well, then I'm not in the right

state for this. You know, it's a

crazy day, and I don't usually drink

whiskey...

JAKE

I get it. Okay.

LARA

I can't stay here.

JAKE

Yeah. It's fine.

LARA

No, I -- I don't think you should

stay here, either. With the mold.

JAKE

I don't follow you.

Lara groans. She is too exhausted to deal with this right

now.

LARA

Okay. I -- I'm scared, okay? I'd just

feel better if you slept over in the

cabin tonight.

JAKE

You mean like...?

21.

LARA

Like, literally, can you just sleep

on my floor?

JAKE

You can sleep here on the couch if

you want.

LARA

No, it's...I don't know. I had a

weird day, and I think I saw

something in the woods, maybe, and

without SodaPop here I just...please?

Come over to the cabin with me.

JAKE

And sleep on the floor.

LARA

Please?

Jake considers.

JAKE

This is weird.

LARA

Yeah.

JAKE

You're sure you don't just want the

couch?

LARA

Please, Jake.

JAKE

(sighs)

Okay, fine. I guess.

LARA

Thank you.

JAKE

This is...not how I saw this going.

LARA

I know the feeling. Come on, let's

go. We -- I need to get out of this

house. Now.

JAKE

Lead the way.

22.

She hurries to the door, stops. Then continues out. Jake

shakes his head.

JAKE

Lara Campbell.

He sighs. He follows her out.

END OF EPISODE

...

Thank you so much for listening to Believer. This episode

was written, directed, and sound designed by Julie Saunders,

with voice acting provided by Mara Hernandez, Sara Gorsky,

Jason Markoff, Julie Saunders, and Archie.

A special thank you to our Patreon supporters. Tomecko,

Vance Barnhill, Peter Larsen, Kristy Smith, Anna of

Amsterdam, and Michael Armes have provided crucial support

throughout the hiatus, covered the cost of audio hosting,

and allowed us to expand our access to sound effects and

other sound resources. Patreon supporters get each episode

one week early, as well as access to behind-the-scenes

information, updates, and commentary. They may also get to

find out what Sodapop has been up to during the interim, but

that’s a surprise, so don’t tell them. To find out more or

join in yourself, go to Patreon.com/believerpodcast. That’s

P-A-T-R-E-O-N dot com, slash believerpodcast.

This episode was made possible by Zencastr. Not because they

paid us anything, but because their services during

quarantine are basically the only reason we were able to

complete any episodes. Zencastr allows you to record

remotely while taking backup audio of the entire session. It

keeps everybody on separate tracks for easy editing, you can

add video…If you have chat-style podcast, you can even do

all of your editing within Zencastr. It’s really easy to use

and has really made a big difference for us.

All of the music and many of the sound effects for this

episode came from Epidemic Sound. If you’re interested in

either Zencastr or Epidemic Sound, use our referral link to

check them out. You can find those in the show notes or by

going to BelieverPodcast.com/support.

We’ll be back again in two weeks. Until next time, if you’re

standing outside and you sense a strange shadow cast on

everything, and you look up and the moon has turned a sickly

blood red, and you begin to feel something primal and

hungry…check the date. If it’s November 18th or 19th of this

year, you are experiencing the last lunar eclipse of 2021.

23.

Maybe have a glass of red wine and remember that while you

don’t need astrology to validate your own intuition, it

sometimes helps to know that Jupiter, Saturn, Venus and the

Moon are all visible at once and that…probably means

whatever you need it to mean.

See you next time. Bye now.

24.

TRANSCRIPT: 1.06 - The Rules

A PDF version of this transcript is available here.

CONTENT NOTES: Cults, imprisonment, serious illness, hallucinations

---

Hello, my lovely Patrons. I just wanted to thank you all for

sticking with us through this long hiatus. It’s been a tough

year for many of us out there, and your grace and support

has meant the world. We went off-schedule for Halloween, but

from now on release days will be Tuesday of each week.

You’ll get each of those one week in advance here on

Patreon.

Now, please enjoy, Believer, Season One, Episode Six: The

Rules.

LARA'S INBOX

VOICEMAIL

You have unheard messages. First

message.

Rustling from the other end. Camille speaks to someone away

from the phone.

CAMILLE

Nothing that time either? Well, then

where is her phone? It wasn't on her.

Maybe we should --

It cuts off.

BEEP.

VOICEMAIL

Next message.

COMPUTER VOICE

Lara Campbell. You are in danger.

Lara Campbell. You are in --

BEEP.

VOICEMAIL

End of messages.

TITLES

NARRATOR

Believer. Episode Six. The Rules.

INT. BASEMENT - HOLDING ROOM - DAY

A small, concrete room. Lara stirs on an air mattress on the

floor.

CAMILLE

Good morning, Lara.

Lara jumps.

LARA

Gah! Ugh...

CAMILLE

(sympathetic)

How's your head?

LARA

Pounding.

CAMILLE

Yeah, you probably have a pretty bad

hangover. There's water and pills by

the bed if you want any. Yeah, there.

LARA

I'm not taking medicine from you.

CAMILLE

(rolling her eyes)

It's just aspirin, Lara.

LARA

Uh-huh.

CAMILLE

Do you want me to take it first?

Here.

She grabs the pill bottle, sticks some pills in her mouth.

CAMILLE

See?

LARA

Well, now it has your spit on it.

CAMILLE

Get more from the bottle.

She hands the bottle to Lara. Lara sets it down.

LARA

I'm good.

CAMILLE

At least drink some water. It's

filtered.

2.

LARA

I'm good.

Camille sighs.

CAMILLE

This isn't how I wanted to do this,

you know.

LARA

The kidnapping, you mean?

CAMILLE

It's not kidnapping.

LARA

You drugged me and took me to a...

(looks around)

Concrete room. Is this your basement?

Does your mom know about this?

(yells)

Hey! Doctor Simmons!

Camille rushes to shush her.

CAMILLE

Shhh!

LARA

Don't touch me!

CAMILLE

Lara, I'm a friend.

LARA

That's what I thought before the

kidnapping.

CAMILLE

I didn't mean to hurt you. I just had

to get you out of the Sanctum.

LARA

Reverend Boone's old church?

CAMILLE

It used to be a church. Now it's

something...more.

LARA

Oh, god.

3.

CAMILLE

Only Reverend Boone and his daughter

are allowed to go there. I've been

asking, but -- it's very sacred. And

dangerous. It takes weeks of study

and meditation to be ready.

LARA

Because it's full of psychedelic

substances, and if you don't

brainwash yourself first you might

have the wrong visions?

Camille is offended, cold.

CAMILLE

This was a mistake.

LARA

Like I was saying.

CAMILLE

(realization sets in)

You're not ready to be here.

(panic)

Oh, god. Oh no. What did I do?

LARA

Camille? Camille, it's okay. You can

just let me go.

CAMILLE

No, no, no. I need to think.

LARA

Camille...

CAMILLE

Sit here. I'll be -- I'll be right

back.

LARA

Camille, wait!

CAMILLE

Drink some water.

She hurries out the door, shuts it behind her. The CLICK of

a lock.

LARA

Camille. Camille!

4.

She tries the door, then pounds on it. No response.

LARA

Can someone at least check on my dog?

No response.

Lara sits down on the air mattress.

LARA

Maybe Jake will notice I'm gone.

She takes a breath.

LARA

(to herself)

Now, where am I?

LARA (V.O.)

I know, right? Actual cult

kidnapping. It's like there was some

kind of Creepy Small Town checklist

this place was working from.

Lara walks around the room.

LARA (V.O.)

Small concrete room. Underground. It

was probably supposed to be a storage

closet. One window up high...

Lara jumps. Grunts. No dice.

LARA (V.O.)

Too high to reach, naturally. But the

really interesting thing...

Lara stops. Touches the wall.

LARA

Wait. What's that?

LARA (V.O.)

All over the room -- the floor, the

walls -- there were these scratch

marks. Long, shallow grooves crossing

every surface. At first it seemed

random, but...

She moves the air mattress.

LARA

Wow.

5.

LARA (V.O.)

It was a pattern. I think. The lines

converged, or maybe began, in this...

tangle in the middle of the room. The

lines would loop out and away from

each other, then converge again, so

many layered at these convergence

points that it almost became a

circle, or a star. And then away

again. The way that they split, and

twisted, and grew, it made me think

of...it's hard to explain, but it

wasn't random. It seemed...organic.

Like Rose's room, like the church,

but so much more...deliberate.

Lara rubs and scratches the floor, examining it.

LARA (V.O.)

I mean, it was carved into the floor.

Someone was determined. Someone...

Through the ceiling, a soft, rhythmic BEEPING sound.

LARA

What is that...beeping?

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

Suddenly, a KNOCK at the door.

LARA

Um. Hello?

No response.

Beep. Beep. KNOCK.

LARA

Who's doing that?

Beep. Beep. Knock-knock-knock.

LARA

You guys locked it from the ouside,

remember? I can't really --

A smattering of KNOCKS, from all directions this time.

Something TAPS on the window.

LARA

Is someone out there? I could really

use some...help...

6.

She trails off as a CACOPHONY OF KNOCKS breaks out, coming

from everywhere. Something THUMPS hard on the door, like a

large, wet body throwing itself against it.

LARA

Oh, no. Not again. No, no, no.

Similar THUMPS against the window this time, like something

trying to break through. Lara covers her ears.

The noise CRESCENDOS louder, the BEEPING getting loud,

insistent. Lara moans, unable to block it out.

The sound rises and rises until --

THE DOOR OPENS.

CAMILLE

Lara?

All sounds stop.

Except the distant, muffled BEEP, BEEP, BEEP...

Camille takes a few steps into the room.

CAMILLE

Lara? Are you okay?

Lara flinches away.

LARA

I'm fine!

CAMILLE

Oh. Sorry. Well, I was just checking.

She turns to leave.

LARA

Camille. Wait.

Camille stops.

CAMILLE

What?

LARA

This is the Boone House, isn't it?

CAMILLE

How did you...?

7.

LARA (V.O.)

The beeping. Reverend Boone's heart

monitor.

LARA

I can...feel it.

CAMILLE

What do you feel, Lara?

LARA

These marks...did Rose make them?

CAMILLE

Yes. Rose was here when the visions

overtook her. You can feel that?

LARA

Do you think I can't sense Rose's

presence? There's so much of her

here.

CAMILLE

She locked herself in here for three

days, a few months ago. When she came

out...that's when everything began.

LARA (V.O.)

Oh my god.

LARA

The lines. Reaching. In the dirt.

CAMILLE

I knew you could sense her. That's

what I was trying to -- you were

supposed to lead me to Rose and then

just go home. I didn't realize that

Oblivion would reach you, too.

LARA

Oblivion. Is that what you call it?

CAMILLE

Yes.

LARA (V.O.)

There was only one way out of there.

LARA

I see its signs everywhere. In my

dreams, on the walls, in the Sanctum.

8.

CAMILLE

In the Sanctum? You had a vision?

What did you see?

LARA

It was...indescribable. Camille. Help

me understand. What do you worship

here?

CAMILLE

The hand of God.

LARA

Yes. Of course.

CAMILLE

You can feel it, right? What do you

feel?

LARA

I...I guess I feel...

CAMILLE

Nothing.

LARA

What?

CAMILLE

The sweet release of nothingness.

LARA

Yes. I feel...nothing. Absolutely

nothing.

Camille sighs, happy, relieved.

CAMILLE

I think you should meet the others.

LARA

I'd love that.

CAMILLE

Come on.

Camille opens the door. They walk out.

INT. BASEMENT - MAIN ROOM - DAY

A cozy hangout room. A few STRANGERS sit around, talking

quietly. They go silent when Camille and Lara walk in.

9.

CAMILLE

Everyone? This is Lara.

LARA

Hi.

Silence. They are not impressed.

LARA (V.O.)

It was a pretty typical basement

hangout room. Couches, TV, stereo.

Pretty popular when Rose was in high

school, I bet. There were probably

about a dozen people in there. All of

them staring at me.

CAMILLE

Lara has seen the Nothingness.

Excited murmuring from the others.

CAMILLE

(to Lara)

Come on, let's sit over here.

LARA

Okay.

LARA (V.O.)

So I'm not a cult expert, but I know

a few things. Rule One: never tell

someone who's in a cult that they're

in a cult. It'll just make them mad.

LARA

So your group seems...friendly.

CAMILLE

We try to be welcoming. It's hard

because, you know, it's so easy to

misunderstand.

LARA (V.O.)

Rule Two: Everyone outside the cult

is bad. Not just confused, but

actively evil. So try to be an

insider.

LARA

It's so simple, though. They must not

understand.

10.

CAMILLE

You know, some people just have a

really hard time with new ideas.

LARA

I've noticed that.

CAMILLE

You know, people think that these

things -- suffering, division -- are

just part of life.

LARA

So that's what the Nothingness is,

then? The end of suffering?

CAMILLE

Kind of. But it's more than that.

See, pain, loneliness, isolation --

those are symptoms. They mean that

something's wrong. Oh, Reverend Boone

explains it better than I can. But

we're not trying to end the world. We

just want it to work the way it's

supposed to.

LARA

And this reaching...thing --

CAMILLE

The hand of God.

LARA

It can do that.

CAMILLE

That's all it wants.

A beat. They look around.

LARA

Okay, well, this has been amazing.

But I really think I should go check

on my dog.

CAMILLE

Wait -- Lara --

A door opens and closes across the room.

11.

LARA

He knows Rose better than anyone, so

I'll just go him and come right back.

Now if you'll excuse me --

TERRI

I wouldn't recommend that.

Where did Mayor Terri come from? Well, she's here now.

LARA

Mayor Boone!

TERRI

They actually call me The Conductor

here.

LARA

Sure. Of course.

TERRI

Camille mentioned that we had a new

inductee who's already had her first

vision of the Hand of God. I figured

it was probably you.

LARA

Yep. That's me.

TERRI

(niceness laced with

malice)

Well, isn't that lovely.

LARA

Listen, um...

TERRI

The Reverend would like to greet you

personally.

The STRANGERS mumble, surprised excitement.

CAMILLE

The Reverend? Really? But I just

started teaching her the basics.

TERRI

It was his personal request.

CAMILLE

Of course. Lara, this is quite an

honor.

12.

LARA

I -- yeah. I'm honored.

LARA (V.O.)

Rule three: Never question the

leader. Ever.

TERRI

I'll take her upstairs, Camille. Why

don't all of you here prepare for a

vision ceremony? It's been a while,

after all.

CAMILLE

Sure, Mayor -- um, Madam Conductor.

TERRI

Just Conductor is plenty, Camille.

CAMILLE

Yes, ma'am -- uh, Conductor.

Terri sighs.

TERRI

Come on.

INT. BOONE HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER

FADE IN on Mitchell Boone's various medical machinery.

Terri walks over to check on Mitchell.

TERRI

He's asleep. Good. I swear this is

the only room in the house where

those people can't overhear us.

LARA

Um, you can hear the beeping

downstairs, actually.

TERRI

So talk more quietly than the

beeping.

LARA

Right, um...sorry, what's going on?

13.

TERRI

We are going to wait until the

'shrooms kick in downstairs, and then

you are going to go very far away

from here.

LARA

So all this -- Oblivion, the Hand of

God, resetting the world -- you don't

actually believe any of it.

TERRI

Here's what I know, Lara. You cannot

find Rose.

On "Rose," Mitchell's heart monitor picks up.

LARA

What?

TERRI

Rose is gone. She needs to stay gone.

And you need to get away from here.

LARA

I don't understand --

Mitchell GASPS, waking with a start.

MITCHELL

(rasps)

The Sacred Rose! My Rose -- my Rose

in the scorched, packed earth.

He coughs.

TERRI

Mitchell -- Mitchell, stay calm.

Please, honey, you're confused.

MITCHELL

You. You.

He grabs Lara's arm.

LARA

Hey, whoa!

MITCHELL

You will find my Rose. You will

bring...the one...salvation...

14.

TERRI

Mitchell, do you hear me? Honey, you

need to let go of Rose's friend.

MITCHELL

Fore...fore-runner...the herald...I

didn't see it, but...

He coughs.

TERRI

Shh, shh...

LARA

Sir, I think that you should rest.

MITCHELL

No. No! She is so close...you must...

please...

He groans, then falls asleep again.

TERRI

Mitchell. Mitchell?

His machines stabilize.

LARA

Is he okay?

TERRI

He's sleeping. He's not...he gets

confused, lately.

LARA

Terri...

TERRI

Time to go.

LARA

Oh. Okay.

TERRI

Down the hall, out the door. Run.

Now.

LARA

If you --

TERRI

Now!

15.

LARA

Okay. Okay.

Lara runs out.

Terri strokes Mitchell's hair.

TERRI

Just a few more days, Mitchell.

You'll see.

EXT. BOONE HOUSE - EVENING

It's getting toward evening. Crickets have started to sing.

Lara slips out the front door.

She runs across the grass...then suddenly TRIPS and falls.

LARA

Ah!

And that's enough. The basement door swings open and Camille

appears.

CAMILLE

Lara? The rest of the group's down

here.

LARA

Oh, uh...

CAMILLE

You weren't leaving, were you? I

thought you enjoyed it here.

LARA

I do! I just -- I got a feeling. A

vision. So I need to go now.

CAMILLE

Is it Rose? I'll come with you!

LARA

No! Uhh...I need to go alone.

CAMILLE

(suddenly serious)

I should really come with you.

LARA

But if you meditate here...

16.

CAMILLE

No, Lara. I'm coming with you.

Sorry -- we're coming with you.

Two other cult members, MARCUS and JUNIPER come up the

basement stairs

MARCUS

Hey.

JUNIPER

Hi.

LARA

Right.

(to herself)

Lot of strength training in this

group, I guess.

CAMILLE

What was that?

LARA

Nothing. Let's, uh, let's go.

CAMILLE

(brightly)

Great! Come on, guys.

LARA (V.O.)

Cult rule four: getting out is a lot

harder than getting in. They make

sure of that.

Camille and the others catch up to Lara.

LARA

I was just going into the woods.

Right here.

CAMILLE

Sounds good. Marcus and Juniper love

hiking. They work out a lot.

LARA

That's great.

They walk off into the woods.

17.

LARA'S INBOX

VOICEMAIL

Next message.

BEEP.

SIMMONS

This is Doctor Penelope Simmons,

General Practitioner, calling once

again to try to make an appointment.

Miss Campbell, there is a serious

infection emerging in the town of

Charity, Oregon. Source and

progression of the disease remains

unclear, but your resistance could be

key to determining next steps. Please

be on the lookout for symptoms such

as visual or auditory hallucinations,

difficulty breathing, or anything

that...

(beat)

Is that...no. It can't be.

(shakes it off)

Um. As I was saying, I...

(beat)

Hello? I'm not currently seeing

patients. If you don't have an

appointment...Richard? Is that you?

It can't be. You're dead.

(beat)

Richard, what are you -- Richard,

don't touch that. No, it's not

Richard. You're not Richard! It's

nothing. Nothing.

(to the vision)

Go away! You hear me? You are

nothing! Nothing! Nothing, nothing,

noth --

BEEP.

VOICEMAIL

Message deleted.

EXT. FOREST - NIGHT

Forest sounds. It's a quiet night. Rain falls softly on the

fir trees.

Lara, Camille, Marcus, and Juniper walk through the brush.

18.

CAMILLE

Are we getting close?

LARA

I think so.

LARA (V.O.)

I had this idea that once we got out

into the woods, I could just lose

them. It was getting dark, and the

rain and fog had already moved in. I

stepped off the path so there wasn't

an obvious way to go. It should've

been easy, right?

CAMILLE

Whoa, it is dark out here. I feel

like I can barely see at all. Lara,

I'm gonna hold onto your arm, okay?

LARA

Oh, um --

CAMILLE

Marcus, why don't you grab her other

arm? Juniper, you stay close. It's

slippery out here.

Marcus GRUNTS acknowledgment.

LARA

(to herself)

Damn it.

CAMILLE

What was that?

LARA

Almost there!

LARA (V.O.)

I forgot about Rule Five: don't

assume cult members are stupid. Cults

really like smart, well-educated

people, actually. People don't join

cults because they don't know better;

they do it because the cult has

something they need at that moment. I

wonder what that first thing was for

Camille.

19.

CAMILLE

I guess when I heard Reverend

Mitchell's message I was just, you

know, I was really lost. Like, here I

am back in my home town, this place I

swore I'd get away from, I'm just

getting away from this horrific

relationship, and it just seemed like

there was no purpose to any of it. I

mean, this guy I was with at school

was just...I mean, I won't get into

it, but I was pretty broken.

LARA

Uh-huh.

CAMILLE

And it's like, how does a loving God

create a person like that, and then

not even warn me that I'm in his

path? It just seemed senseless. But

then...

Sound of a dog ID TAG AGAINST A COLLAR.

LARA

Shhh!

CAMILLE

What? Are we there?

LARA

Do you hear that?

Silence.

CAMILLE

Hear what?

A dog BARKS.

LARA

SodaPop!

Lara shakes off Marcus and breaks into a run.

CAMILLE

Lara -- wait!

The others chase after Lara.

LARA

SodaPop! Come here --

20.

(she stops)

Buddy...

She trails off. Camille and the others catch up. They stop.

They gasp.

CAMILLE

It's her.

SodaPop whines happily.

Rose steps forward.

ROSE

Hello, Lara.

LARA

Hi...Rose.

BUMP BUMP BUHHHH.

END OF EPISODE

Thank you for listening to Believer. We’re so excited to be

back. Your support has meant the world over the last year,

and I want to thank everyone who’s sent messages or told

friends about the show. I can’t tell you how much it

mattered during this difficult time away. If you want to get

in touch, you can follow the show on Twitter, Instagram, or

Facebook at Believerpod or send us an email at

believerpod@gmail.com. For transcripts, cast and crew

information, and to support the show, go to

BelieverPodcast.com.

Episodes will release every other Tuesday until the end of

the season. Patreon supporters receive each episode one week

early, along with other extras and behind-the-scenes

information. Find out more at Patreon.com/BelieverPodcast

This episode was written and directed by Julie Saunders and

features the voice talents of Sara Gorsky, Rosa Delgado,

David Pinion, Samantha Ronceros, Mara Hernandez, Seth

Ellsworth, Julie Saunders, and Archie. Sound design by Julie

Saunders and Chad Ellis.

Speaking of voice acting by Rosa Delgado, our pod-cousins at

Elaine’s Cooking For the Soul have just returned with season

two! Rosa stars as the titular Elaine and even wrote one of

the episodes this season, so you definitely want to check

that out. Stick around for their trailer.

21.

Until next time, if you see strange shapes from the corners

of your eyes, or children with unnaturally dark eyes come

knocking at your door…don’t worry, it’s probably just trickor-

treaters. It is Halloween, after all. (But still, don’t

invite them inside.)

22.

TRANSCRIPT: Tale of SodaPop Pt 3

A PDF version of this transcript is available here.

 The moon has risen high in the sky by the time SodaPop gets a moment’s rest. The barn cat leads  him along game trails and over streams, and he follows at a plodding pace, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. This night has been very strange, and that makes him tired. Finally, the cat stops at a small thicket blanketed with fallen needles. SodaPop digs out a little bed, circles it a few times to make sure it’s just right, and promptly falls asleep.

The barn cat watches him a moment, then saunters off to hunt. It’s not clear why she’s taken such a shine to the little dog. She doesn’t care much for dogs, normally, or really any animal for that matter. Maybe she feels bad for him. He’s so clearly a city dog, the smell of concrete and exhaust embedded down to the skin. He’s quick and clever, but hopeless in the face of danger. He’d never survive out here on his own. But he also knows humans, or at least has all the trappings of a spoiled human pet, and that is one area of expertise that the barn cat doesn’t have.

She catches a field mouse, plays with it a little, then eats it before going back to check on the sleeping dog. She taps him softly with her paw and he startles awake. See? Hopeless. You don’t sleep deep in the woods, especially here on the ground. It’s a great way to never wake up.

When SodaPop sees the barn cat, he stretches and gives himself a thorough, full-body shake. She blinks slowly at him. He wags his tail. Neither is quite sure what these signals mean, but they don’t seem threatening, which is good enough.

It’s still dark out, though it won’t be for long, and the barn cat decides to put SodaPop’s knowledge to good use. She guides him up a steep hollow to a wide, well-worn hiking trail. Beside the trail she finds a huge blackberry bush, wild and full of thick thorns, and slips underneath it. SodaPop tries to follow, but the thorns snag the feathery hair on his ears almost immediately. He whines, stuck, but the cat just settles deeper under the bush and turns around to watch him. He takes a careful step backward and manages to free himself, but the blackberry bush is clearly not a good hiding spot.

Far down the trail, they hear footsteps. Human footsteps. SodaPop tenses, then sits up and wags his tail. Humans! He loves those!

The cat gives a soft, warning hiss, which he ignores. He steps onto the edge of the path. There are three adult humans of varying sizes. In the pre-pre-dawn, he can really only make out their silhouettes. One of them is very tall, and that one swivels its head back and forth as it walks, keeping a constant watch on their surroundings. There’s a short one, which stares at its feet as it walks. The third one smells strongly of sausages. It chatters to the others. It says the words “Lara” and “dog,” and SodaPop starts to rush forward, then stops. 

There’s something wrong. Beneath the smell of old sausages, the humans radiate fear. Now, it’s true that dogs can smell fear. But not all fear smells the same. There’s the worried kind, which usually needs a soothing response from a dog. And the frightened kind, which means a predator’s near. What emanates from these humans is something else. It’s a slow, dangerous tension, the elevated adrenaline of someone attempting something against their better judgement. This is the smell of humans who are Up To Something.

Of course, while processing all of this, he’s forgotten that he’s supposed to be hiding. So before he can decide what to do, the tall human stops and points at him. Then the short one says “SodaPop,” and all three look in his direction. SodaPop turns to run, but only finds the blackberry bush. So turns toward the humans, squares his shoulders, and barks. 

This activates the humans, who dive in his direction. The tall one reaches for him first. He ducks under its big hands and takes a quick side-step, which sends it off-balance. The short one goes low, bending its knees and holding its hands out wide. It misjudges how narrow SodaPop is, though, and the dog slips between the short human’s legs and out the other side. Then the sausage-y one grabs his tail. This solidifies, in SodaPop’s mind, that these are very bad humans. He whips his head around and snarls viciously. The sausage one, not knowing that SodaPop is actually too good a boy to ever bite someone, lets go of his tail in a hurry. Still too close for comfort, SodaPop spins once and lets out a mighty battle cry.

[SFX: A cute doggy “Arooo” sound.]

What the humans soon discover is that SodaPop is an all-time master at the game of chase. The secret is not necessarily speed. Lots of dogs are fast. But when you’re small, narrow, and long-legged, you just have to zig-zag and turn more tightly than your opponent and you win every time. There’s not a dog alive who can catch SodaPop, not even that Border Collie that someone keeps bringing to the small dog side of the dog park. Clumsy, two-legged humans don’t stand a chance.

He zips just close enough to the tall one to bait it into bending down to grab him, then feints and rushes at the sausage-smelling one instead. The tall one, bent over as it is, attempts to follow with its arms and accidentally clotheslines the short one, who’s racing into the fray. Sausage man swipes at him, but SodaPop slips close to its legs and then fluidly turns around behind it. This leads the man in a small circle, which pushes it just off-balance enough that it must right itself before chasing after the dog. This buys SodaPop time to zip straight away and out of the little cluster of humans. 

SodaPop sprints a few yards away and turns to see that the humans have largely recovered from their mishaps. The tall one now holds a cloth sheet it got from somewhere. This could be a problem. “Come here, doggy,” the short one says, as it fans out to block an easy escape route on one side of the trail. SodaPop hesitates just a half-second, then races toward the short one. Just as a grin spreads on the human’s face, SodaPop jukes hard and whirls off in another direction. The tall one is waiting for him here, though, and it spreads the sheet wide to try to catch him. SodaPop skids into a hard turn and just manages to get away, but the awkward movement makes his bad knee ache. He needs to get out of the open.

SodaPop does a quick zig-zag across the trail to try to scatter the humans a little, but they’re ready for him. He scans the surroundings, but can’t see a good hiding spot that won’t require leaping over a fallen tree limb or two. While there’s always a chance that could make a human trip, it could also pop his bad knee. Therefore, he takes the one option that’s demonstrated to work. Powered by desperate adrenaline, SodaPop lowers his head and runs as fast as he can into the blackberry bush.

Thorns tear at the hair on his ears and muzzle, poke into the gaps between his paw pads, embed themselves in his fluffy tail. Despite this, SodaPop lets the momentum carry him through to nearly the center of the sprawling bush — and right into the barn cat’s hiding spot.

The barn cat, now faced with a thorny, dog-shaped rocket, lets out a piercing yowl —

[SFX: Cat scream]

and flies out of the bush — directly toward the short human. Neither have time to get out of the way, and both scream as cat collides with human, claws first. The barn cat slashes savagely in all directions, landing several vicious scratches before she disentangles from the short one. Then she ricochets off the tall one, digging her claws into the human’s leg so that she can springboard onto a nearby tree. She climbs up several levels and stops to lick the blood off of her claws. Humans are just so gross.

The humans are in chaos now, all shouting and running around. Meanwhile, SodaPop is fully stuck inside the blackberry bush, held in place by thick snarls of thorns. He tries to lift his head, but that just twists the thorns even deeper into his hair. He makes a few more cautious moves, but it’s hopeless. He can only whine for help. The smell of sausages floats ever-closer as the one uninjured human tries to part the thorny bush without cutting itself. It’s only somewhat successful, though it does manage to thrust an arm in far enough to reach SodaPop’s ear. 

Then suddenly, there’s a cry in the distance.

[SFX: Monster cry]

SodaPop has heard this sound a few times since Lara brought him to this place, and it always makes him nervous. It rattles down his spine and into his gut. His lips curl into a growl almost before he actually hears it. But as the sound pierces through the pre-dawn forest, the humans stiffen. They smell of pure panic and anticipation now. As SodaPop finally extricates himself from the blackberry bush, the humans fall to their knees and press their faces into the ground, arms stretched out ahead of them. 

SodaPop chews a thorn out of one of his feet, shakes the brambles he can out of his hair, and turns toward the sound. 

It’s hard to make out what it is, exactly. It’s something huge with long, pulsing limbs that reach across the sky. The non-smell from earlier seeps out from it, erasing all the other scents in the air, confusing his senses again. Wherever the shape’s long arms spread, the sky disappears. It’s not that it’s dark. If you have a good nose, you never confuse darkness with nothingness. This is like a hole in the world. Emptiness.

As it approaches, SodaPop feels his own terror rise. The humans are motionless now, eyes shut tight. Up in a tree, the barn cat also sits frozen, her eyes so dilated they’ve gone completely black.

SodaPop has run far too many times in the last few hours. He wouldn’t run now, even if he could. Instead, SodaPop looks down at the frightened humans, and he knows what he must do. He is, after all, a Good Boy. He’s always been a good boy. He comes from a long line of good boys and girls. And right now, all that breeding says that good dogs protect others. So he gathers himself, growls deep in his throat, and steps past the humans, toward the nothing-thing.

The long limbs radiate out from a thick, confused mass at the center. Between the pre-dawn shadows and the lack of smell, SodaPop can’t tell what shape it is. Its edges seem to ripple and change. Wherever it touches the ground, the plants shrivel and die. Other than that soft rustling, it makes no sound. SodaPop lowers his head, trying his best to look intimidating as he blocks its path to the humans. Then he lets out his deepest, most intimidating bark.

[SFX: Dog barking (mean)]

The thing actually seems to hesitate for a moment. It stops moving, and its limbs stick straight out in a curious gesture. The humans on the ground writhe and scream in response, and though SodaPop isn’t sure how the being hurts them, he barks frantically for it to stop.

[SFX: Dog barking (scared)]

The empty limbs flicker a little, like the being is thinking of what to do next. Before it can act, though, pre-dawn shifts into dawn. The sun crests over the hill, sending bright, clear beams through the trees. The gray mush of the landscape transforms into a mosaic of light and shadow. SodaPop winces only slightly as the light hits his eyes, and in that fraction of a second, the monster is gone. It doesn’t wither or sizzle. It doesn’t cry or run or hide. It’s just there one moment and gone the next, a cluster of dead plants the only sign it was ever here at all. The forest smells rush back in again, knocking SodaPop a little off-balance as he adjusts back to the regular world.

Behind him, the humans stop screaming and groan softly instead. They roll onto their backs, breathless, and lie on the ground. The short one says that they’ve been “blessed,” a word that SodaPop remembers as a good thing. The tall one laughs, wild and incredulous. The smelly one just stares into the sky, motionless.

Just at the edge of his vision, SodaPop catches a little movement. Something large, but living, with wide, quiet footsteps. Its eyes glint in SodaPop’s direction, and then it sprints off into the woods. SodaPop doesn’t care to follow.

He considers the humans for a moment. He protected them, but that doesn’t mean he trusts them. In fact, if he’s going to get away from them, then he should do it now while they’re distracted. So he sniffs once and trots away into the forest. Far above, the barn cat leaps from branch to branch and then scrambles to the ground. She walks next to him, her steps heavy but quick. SodaPop’s tail wags slightly. The cat twitches an ear in his direction. They disappear into the brush.

The walk back through the woods is long, not least because SodaPop doesn’t actually know which direction to go in anymore. The smell of home is long gone. The barn cat seems to trust him, though, and the two range across the hillside amiably. SodaPop’s jangling collar and general enthusiasm ruin the barn cat’s attempt to stalk the just-awakened field mice, but his keen nose is good at finding clean streams to drink from. At one such stream, the barn cat sneaks away and returns with the remains of a bird. She drops it in front of SodaPop and steps back. This one cannot hunt, but it doesn’t deserve to starve, the gesture might say. SodaPop doesn’t really know what to do with a dead bird, though, and the cat looks on in horror as he rolls on it instead of eating it.

SodaPop is a true denizen of the woods, he thinks. His hair is full of thorns, twigs, and leaves. He’s got a few scratches from the blackberry bush, but nothing serious. There’s a layer of dirt settling in against his skin. And now, best of all, he is cloaked with the alluring, complex scent of dead bird. What could be better?

He can’t help but think of Lara, though. Will she be okay without him? Can she find him out here? He thinks maybe she’s at the bottom of the hill, but he can’t be sure. And there are so many smells crowding his senses that he’s not sure he could even pick her out. 

The barn cat notes his tension but continues to saunter casually beside him. He is new here, but he will learn. Maybe he can be a barn dog. There’s a small cat colony in her barn back home, but she can take them on if she needs to. This dog has few useful skills, but he is brave, and that’s something. He could probably scare raccoons away from the food bin, if he really works at it.

Before she can decide whether to adopt him, SodaPop stops walking. He’s frozen, tense all over. The barn cat tenses too. Has the monster come back? The nothing-thing from the night before? But no, this — this seems different.

SodaPop takes a few steps back and forth, sniffing the air. He’s urgent, attentive. Then in a second, his entire demeanor changes. He comes alive. He was always alive, of course, but this is something different. It’s like a spark ignites at his nose and courses through to the end of his tail. His heart speeds up, and every muscle readies itself.

She’s here. The human who is the sun. His person. He’s sure of it.

Pinpointing the exact direction of her scent takes just another second. He’s not really much a tracker, generally more interested in a scent’s complexity than its trail. And there’s no emptiness here to mute the other smells, so he has to pick her out from fir trees, birds, bear scat, barn cats…

The barn cat sits back, exasperated. She knows not to trust these woods. She thought she taught him not to trust them either. But here he is, taken by yet another new sensation. 

Then a branch snaps on a tree somewhere uphill from them. The sound is like a starter’s pistol. SodaPop lets out a wild, desperate bark, like no sound he’s made all night, and he bolts toward the crest of the hill. The cat has seen him run many times at this point, but never like this. This time, SodaPop runs with the whole force of life driving him, something stronger than hunger or fear. He sails over fallen branches, navigates thorny bushes like they’re hardly there. He is unstoppable. 

There’s no point in following, the cat knows. Part of being an apex predator is knowing when and where to spend one’s energy, and whatever SodaPop’s after doesn’t seem to be in her interest. So she watches him instead, a little streak of white barreling uphill and out of sight. 

She waits a few moments, just in case he calls for her or comes back. He does neither. So she carefully licks her paws and smoothes her fur, then walks off in the other direction. Her barn is just past the base of the hill. Along the way, the trees grow mossy and thick, excellent for stalking prey. She can hear a Bluejay calling from somewhere. She’s always wanted to catch one of those bastards.

Above her, the sun glows softly through a blanket of clouds. A dark squirrel with red, glittering eyes settles into the hollow of a tree, where it will sleep until nightfall. The breeze speaks of coming rain. And somewhere in the forest, a little dog runs desperately toward his truest love.

OUTRO

Thank you for listening to the Tale of SodaPop. 

This episode was written, edited, and narrated by Julie Saunders. The role of SodaPop was played by Archie. The Barn Cat was played by Lulu. Music for this episode was provided by Epidemic Sound -- please see the show notes for titles and composers.

Production is about to restart on this show, starting with a full-cast prequel episode and then moving on to the rest of season one. Patreon supporters will get sneak peeks and behind-the-scene looks at that process, as well as early access to all new episodes. Find out more about Patreon and other ways to support the show at believerpodcast.com/support.

Until next time, I leave you with the wisdom of Mister Fred Rogers: “I like you just the way you are.” Bye now.

TRANSCRIPT: Tale of SodaPop Pt 2

A PDF version of this transcript is available here.

Sodapop keeps close to the barn cat. In the flood of interesting outdoor scents, it would be easy to lose her. He uses a similar tactic with Lara when she lets him wander without a leash, shooting a glance her way every time he finds himself distracted. The barn cat never seems to look back at him, though she occasionally flips an ear his way.

Because of his size and his fluffiness, people often assume that SodaPop can’t take care of himself. But he’s been on his own before. He was barely older than a puppy when his first humans took him for a ride, set him on an unfamiliar street, and left him there. He barely remembers those humans, but he’s pretty sure they were nice up until then. He doesn’t know why they left him behind. It didn’t seem like an accident. Those humans only had him for a little while, just long enough for him to grow from a fat baby into the leggy, athletic dog he is today. Maybe they only wanted a fat baby. Maybe they forgot that babies grow up.

He learned a lot of things in that strange neighborhood. Where humans discard food, how water likes to pool. Which animals were good or chasing (almost all of them), and which ought to be avoided (mostly geese). By the time a human finally caught him and brought him to the city shelter, his hair had grown long and matted, and he was even skinnier than he is now. They shaved him and fed him, and he slept in a strange concrete room with lots of stressed-out dogs in nearby enclosures. He didn’t mind that place, really. It had nice humans in it. Humans are almost always nice to SodaPop.

It was there that SodaPop finally met his human. He’d never had a person of his own before, not really. But this one walked into the shelter, smiled down at him, and he knew nothing could ever be the same. She took him to a little apartment on a quiet street in Portland. Lara lived there too. She and Lara were happy, and he was glad because he seemed to make them even happier. The humans called him SodaPop, because it made them laugh. He calls himself nothing, because he always knows who he is. He never learned his human’s name for much the same reason. She was like the sun. You know it has a name, but you don’t really have to use it. The sun is just there.

Those happy days went on forever, at least as far as he could tell. Dogs experience lots of forevers. Time for them is slow and slippery, and they can live in a moment for as long as they want, provided nothing big changes. And nothing changed for SodaPop and his people for a long, long time.

At some point, the humans started fighting. First a little here and there, then almost all the time. They weren’t real fights, of course. More the kind of loud display that dogs use when they have a dispute but don’t want to hurt each other. But they made the house feel tense, and that made SodaPop worried. He started to feel like he had a stomachache all the time. He clung to his human, but she started leaving the apartment at unexpected times, always without him, so that he only had Lara to be with. Lara was nice, but she didn’t speak his language like his person did. His person knew all his looks and signals, every little change in his body language. Lara was much more difficult to communicate with. And she didn’t play with the toys right. She didn’t seem to care about toys at all, in those days.

And then one day, his human was gone. SodaPop isn’t sure exactly when. Dogs aren’t good at noticing when things end. He remembers a long hug around that time, uncomfortable and tight. She didn’t usually hold him like that, and he whined and struggled until she let him go. Her face was salty, and she sat on the floor for a long time while he tried to clean it off. He’s not sure if that was the day she left or much earlier, though. She just wasn’t at home for a long time, and then      one day Lara put all the things that smelled like her into boxes and sent them away. Then he knew. 

Things have been different since then. Not bad different. Just different. Lara is a fine human, and they’ve come to understand each other better over time. SodaPop loves her. But she’s not the sun. They both know that.

Here in the woods, SodaPop’s nose begins to fill with that awful, sharp scent he got from the squirrels and from whatever was inside Jake’s house. It gets stronger as the trees move closer together. He growls softly as it starts to block out other smells. The barn cat pauses and looks back at him, a long, appraising look. He can’t say for sure, but she seems glad that he’s uncomfortable here. He hopes that doesn’t mean she’s tricking him. 

Familiarity prickles at the back of SodaPop’s brain. He’s been here before. Was the smell this strong that time? He can’t remember clearly. He’s pretty sure he came here with Lara and Jake, though. He’d found the sweater then, its scent piercing through this sharp mush like a beacon. But nothing smells like that now. It’s all just…bad.

SodaPop pushes past the cat, through a little tangle of underbrush, and sees a large clearing full of dry, lifeless dirt. Yes, this is where he came with Lara. It’s not a good place.

As he steps up to the edge of the clearing, the sharp smell disappears. In fact, all smells disappear. SodaPop freezes. He sniffs intently. He smells…nothing.

You have to understand, there’s always something to smell. Sometimes one scent masks another, or a nose gets overwhelmed, but there’s always something. Even when all the other senses fail, there’s a scent. Except in this place, right now. The non-smell wraps around from all directions, and soon he can’t tell where he came from or where he’s going. The forest might as well be empty. His own odor goes away. Maybe he’s gone, too.

SodaPop begins to tremble. He doesn’t know what to do. What do you do with the absence of things? Do you bark at it? Hide from it? It feels like if there’s nothing to smell, then there’s nothing he can do. 

The cat emerges from the brush somewhere near the middle of this little crisis. When she sees SodaPop shaking, she lets out a soft, surprisingly high-pitched meow.

[SFX: Cat sound.]

The sound acts as an anchor, pulling SodaPop back into the world. It’s getting very dark now, but when he turns his head to the side he can just see the cat’s outline against the trees beside them. She might be the only real thing in the world.

SodaPop isn’t quite sure what happens next. Maybe the cat, with her expanded pupils, can see more. He just notices that the dead dirt takes on a shifting, churning quality. Long, dark streaks appear, like the fingers of a mole seeking the best path. Then slowly, almost imperceptibly, something bulges toward the surface. He can’t make out what it is, but it seems familiar somehow. He feels like he’s trying to access an old, old memory, something he never actually experienced but has carried in his blood from his mother’s mother’s mother. A bit of knowledge that only lives in his oldest bones. 

Then suddenly, squirrels leap down from trees all around the dead clearing. He can’t be sure, but they look like the Bad Squirrel from earlier — fur a little too dark, eyes a little too bright. They chitter and weave, and to SodaPop it feels like he’s hearing them from underwater. As their paws hit the dirt, their scent disappears. Together with the darkness, this makes them nearly invisible to a dog like SodaPop. He shivers again, and whines softly under his breath. 

Beside him, the barn cat’s tail twitches. The squirrels chatter and run in the dirt. SodaPop can only see shadows, but the ones he sees undulate strangely, as if the terrain is changing shape in front of him. All at once, he gets the feeling that the squirrels are doing something important here. The cat hisses softly, but he doesn’t look away. There is something precious here, something that shouldn’t be left to squirrels. If he can just get a little bit closer…

As he lifts a paw to step into the dirt, the barn cat bites him on the tail, hard. SodaPop yelps and staggers backward into the brush. He whirls around to face the cat. Her hair is all on end, her tail puffed up to at least twice its size. She’s not looking at him, though. She’s staring back at the clearing, her eyes wide. SodaPop follows her gaze just in time to spot a line of dark squirrels, heads all turned in his direction, bodies tensed for a fight.

The cat sprints off into the bushes, away from this horrible place, and SodaPop follows close behind her. Behind them a chittering wail floats out of the squirrel mob, an eerie sound that only barely remembers it’s supposed to be a rodent’s cry. 

Forest smells rush back in, much to SodaPop’s relief. He knows the squirrels are close behind, dozens of them, the sharp scent arcing off them like lightning. He forces himself to focus on the cat, who’s surprisingly agile given her bulk. She darts under bushes, springboards sideways off of tree trunks. There’s no real strategy here, just a wild, frenzied race. SodaPop struggles to keep her in sight as he also bounces over logs, slips down through hollows, whooshes past the ferns. 

At the foot of an old Douglas fir tree, he spies a place where the dirt has fallen away from the roots, creating a small pocket. It may not be an escape, but it would leave him guarded on three sides if he has to make a stand. The barn cat clocks it too, and they zip into it at nearly the same time. Their soft bodies wedge together into the back corner of the hollow. They’re both breathing hard.

Just then, they hear an owl. The sound stops the squirrels, who come to a halt and turn their glittering eyes toward the sky. SodaPop hears the owl shift its flight and prepare to dive. Maybe it doesn’t know about bad squirrels. Maybe it thinks this mass of rodents will make an easy meal. Whatever its reason, it swoops. 

Instead of scattering, the squirrels turn their heads as one to watch the owl’s descent. They’re not afraid. If anything, they seem excited. Hungry.

As the owl’s claws come within range of its intended victim, the pack of squirrels screams. The weird rodents leap into the sky, climbing over each other in a squirming tower of tails and claws. In an instant, they swarm the owl, first pulling down its talons, then covering its entire body. There’s a confusion of screams and growls, and then it’s over. The owl is dead. 

SodaPop knows this is wrong. Squirrels don’t hunt, and they certainly don’t do it in packs. What’s more, they definitely don’t eat other animals. But these abominations don’t hesitate. They fall upon their former predator and devour it. They eat every sinew, bone, and feather. Within seconds, the owl is just…gone.

SodaPop wants to stay in his hiding spot forever, whining and shaking. But the barn cat taps him on the nose and then pads soundlessly out of their place and into the brush. SodaPop hesitates. Nothing about this makes sense. The owl should have taken a squirrel or missed it, and the other squirrels should run for cover. SodaPop should pick out a straggler and try to catch it himself. Or he should chase the squirrels off and see if there’s any owl meat left. The sensible parts of him say that he can still fulfill this last part of this chain. But then, maybe if squirrels don’t act like squirrels, he shouldn’t act like a dog. And so he turns away from prey and prey of prey, and follows a cat into the tall grass.

OUTRO

Thank you for listening to the Tale of SodaPop, part one. 

This episode was written, edited, and narrated by Julie Saunders. The role of SodaPop was played by Archie. The Barn Cat was played by Lulu. Music for this episode was provided by Epidemic Sound -- please see the show notes for titles and composers.

If you want the rest of the story right now, it’s available at Patreon.com/believerpodcast. Find out more about Patreon and other ways to support the show at believerpodcast.com/support. Otherwise, part three will be out next Tuesday. 

Until then, please take care of yourself. Your best is still ahead of you.

TRANSCRIPT: Tale of Sodapop Pt 1

A PDF version of this transcript is available here.

INTRO

Hi, it’s Julie Saunders, creator of Believer and voice of Lara. I thought it’d be fun to surprise you all with a bonus episode today! But first, a few announcements.

This podcast now has merch! Head on over to Teepublic for print-on-demand tee shirts, stickers, mugs, and other items featuring a new Team Sodapop logo, an original tourism poster for the city of Charity, or two versions of our cover art.

And right now you can get 20% off all Believer merch...by joining our brand new PATREON! Monthly memberships start at just one dollar a month, and get you access to bonus material including annotated scripts, blooper and bonus episodes, and much more. Go to patreon.com/believerpodcast for more details.

Production is about to restart on this show, starting with a full-cast prequel episode and then moving on to the rest of season one. Patreon supporters will get sneak peeks and behind-the-scene looks at that process, as well as early access to all new episodes.

This is an independent, low-budget show, so any support you can give will go a long way. I also want to thank everyone for continuing to rate, review, and recommend this show. It makes a huge difference.

Okay! Now to your bonus episode. This is a three-part short story about SodaPop, set after the events of episode 4. I’ll be your narrator this time, as Lara doesn’t appear in the story.

And now, please enjoy “The Tale of SodaPop - Part One: A Good Boy.”

The Tale of SodaPop - Part One: A Good Boy

SodaPop has been alone in the cabin for a very long time. 

He can’t say how long, exactly, but certainly longer than usual. Not that he’s particularly worried — Lara always comes back, even on those occasions when she comes late. She’s not perfect, not like his other human, but she’s pretty good. 

It’s just that SodaPop really has to pee, and Good Boys don’t pee inside of buildings, even ones that smell of dirt and pine and microwave meals like this one.

SodaPop is a little taller than a human’s mid-calf when he’s on all four paws. He’s lanky and leggy, though, so if he gets up on his back paws and reaches with the front ones, he can almost reach a person’s hip. Some people call him a little dog, but he’s over twice the size of Lara’s friend’s Yorkie, and that’s got to count for something. He has floppy, feathery ears and fluffy white fur that has to get brushed far too often for his taste. The nice lady thought he must be part poodle, but Lara never wanted to buy a test to find out.

Above all, though, SodaPop is a Good Boy. So that means he’s got a bit of a dilemma. He paces in circles, but that just seems to make the feeling worse. He lies down, but that doesn’t do much either. He’ll simply have to escape.

First, he tries the door. He gets up on his hind legs and pushes as hard as he can. It doesn’t budge. Scratching on it also does nothing, and the wooden floor is too thick to dig under. He pokes it with his nose. When all else fails, he barks. 

[SFX: dog barking]

He barks a few times, then listens. But there doesn’t seem to be anyone out there. When that man Jake is home, SodaPop can always hear his heavy boots. But now, there are no boots. There’s nothing. Except the slightest little…wait. Is that a breeze? Inside the house? SodaPop raises his nose and sniffs. There is a new smell in here, fresh air mixing with the stagnant wood smell. If he can just track it to its source…

Sodapop circles the one-room cabin, sniffing the air as he goes. For a moment, he thinks maybe it’s coming from behind the kitchenette, but then a crosswind hits, and then he’s got it. The window over Lara’s desk. Lara broke it when she had a bad dream, but Jake came and covered it with a thick plastic sheet. Now the sheet has come away from the wall somewhere.

SodaPop wastes no time. He rushes over to Lara’s chair, which twists awkwardly as he clambers over it and onto the desk. Lara’s mug crashes to the floor, which startles SodaPop into a collision with her laptop. 

[SFX: Ceramic mug breaks]

His paws slide across the keyboard, and he nearly trips over the cords that stick out of one side, but he manages to right himself. He sniffs at the window, trying to locate the open spot. This requires him to walk back and forth, which sends a few more things flying to the floor, but they don’t seem like things he needs to worry about.

[SFX: Pens, papers, and equipment fall to the floor. Dog sniffing.]

Near the bottom-left corner, the plastic is loose. Sweet, wonderful outdoor air pours through. This is it. SodaPop pushes his nose against the loose plastic until he finds the gap between sheet and wall. He wedges his muzzle through it, then his head, and finally his paws and shoulders. After that it’s just a wild, flailing leap, he’s free.

[SFX/Ambient: Forest sounds. Dog shakes himself off.]

The sun hangs low in the sky, lighting up the clouds in a variety of colors that SodaPop can’t really appreciate. It’s a quiet evening. Expectant, almost. SodaPop sniffs the ground, a mixture of gravel and soft tree needles, until he finds a few spots that other animals have marked. He leaves his own mark on them. Thoroughly.

His business done, SodaPop gives himself a little shake and takes stock of his surroundings. There are no cars in front of the cabin. The forest is alive with animal smells. Lara’s definitely missed Walk Time. But even a Good Boy can take himself for a walk once in a while, right?

Still, his first move is to look for a human. Lara may be late, but there’s sure to be another human around somewhere. SodaPop likes humans, and he’d rather go exploring with one than without. Lara says it’s because he’s a “companion breed.” He just knows that things are sort of boring without a human there to watch. 

There are no humans outside at the moment, but he does find the back door to Jake’s house hanging slightly ajar. He paws it open and trots inside.

SodaPop doesn’t usually come into Jake’s house. It has a weird, musty smell that he doesn’t like. The humans never mention it, but he can tell there’s something slightly wrong. He thinks it’s in the walls, whatever it is. Something that shouldn’t be there. It’s there in the back entry, and it’s probably there in the kitchen. SodaPop can’t be sure because he can only smell the lunch meat that someone left on the counter.

Lunch meat! Out all on its own! SodaPop hurries over to it. He stands up as tall as he can on his back legs, but he can only get his nose to the edge of the counter. It’s there, though. He’s sure of it. It smells like bologna. It’s been sitting out for a while, so the scent is nice and settled. Delicious. He hops and scratches over the counter’s edge, but it’s not quite enough. Finally, he takes several steps back, then runs at it and leaps as high as he can. He slams shoulder-first into the counter and falls gracelessly to the floor. In the process, though, one of his front claws just snags the edge of a plastic package, and four whole slices of bologna scatter onto the floor. Jackpot. 

He bolts down the bologna as fast as he can — practically inhales it — then licks his lips and searches for more. The musty smell is so strong it makes him sneeze, but he thinks that somewhere inside it there might be a discarded chicken nugget in the living room. That’s promising. 

Jake’s house is small, though probably adequate for his needs. There’s the kitchen, a bedroom, an entry area, and a long, narrow living room. Soda sets off to inspect them all. In the living room, he finds a couch. The cabin doesn’t have a couch. He hops up on it, rubs his face along the cushions, rolls to scratch his back. It smells softly of cheesy chips, and now, so does SodaPop. He sniffs at an old mouse’s nest in one corner and finds the half-eaten chicken nugget under the coffee table. It’s been there for at least a few days. Delightfully aged, if you ask SodaPop. 

He moves to explore Jake’s bedroom, but stops in the doorway. The musty smell is stronger than before. It’s sharp, here, and extremely unpleasant. There’s a hint of pheromone smell to it, like some spiders emit to try to lure in prey. SodaPop can feel the hair on the back of his neck trying to puff up. He sniffs the air carefully and peeks around. The back wall of Jake’s bedroom is streaked with long, black lines. They curve and bend in a sickening way as they move from floor to ceiling, occasionally branching out into horrible little blobs. 

SodaPop sneezes. Then he shakes. Whatever this is, he can’t be near it anymore. He growls softly and beats a hasty exit through the back door.

When he gets back outside, SodaPop feels a bit shaken. What was that thing? Nothing good, surely. In fact, the more he thinks about it — OH MY GOD, A SQUIRREL!

A REAL SQUIRREL

ON THE GROUND

LOOKING AT HIM.

It’s just a few yards away, oddly dark in color with bright, glowing eyes. SodaPop lunges at it immediately. You can’t delay with a squirrel. The squirrel turns and runs, and the chase is on.

Now, listen: all squirrels are bastards. But this one’s in a league all its own. It zigs and zags through the underbrush, ducks under bushes and sails through ferns. SodaPop sprints after it, clumsy but determined. At one point, the squirrel disappears into a fallen log, and SodaPop barks incessantly until it darts back out. They run a slalom through the trees. He loses it near a little stream and looks around, desperately, until he spots it staring at him from some tall grass. It twitches its tail enticingly before it darts away again. If SodaPop could think, he might wonder why it stays on the ground instead of escaping up a tree. But he can’t think. He can only chase.

It’s impossible to say how long they run, first in the mossy low spots and then far up the hill. SodaPop’s tongue hangs out of his mouth, sending flecks of foam flying back onto his cheeks and chest. And always the squirrel is just ahead of him, almost in his jaws, barely out of reach.

Then SodaPop leaps over a fallen branch and lands hard on his back leg. Pain shoots through his knee just as the squirrel finally, finally climbs up a tree trunk. He cries, a wail of pain and frustration. The squirrel just watches. It practically smiles. All squirrels are bad. But this is a very bad squirrel.

He kicks out his leg a few times, until the knee joint pops back into place. This happens sometimes when he overextends himself. A luxating patella, the vet called it. It’s usually fine as long as he can set his own pace. He wonders if the squirrel knew somehow. It’s hard for him to fathom trickery, but he’d put nothing past a squirrel. Yes, all squirrels are bastards. Every single one.

It stares down at him. It’s all the wrong colors, he realizes. And worse, it has the same sharp smell he found in Jake’s house. Now that he’s got a moment to think, he realizes it’s been in his  nose for a while. Now it jabs at his sinuses, so wrong it’s actually uncomfortable. 

SodaPop doesn’t really know what evil is. But this squirrel might be it.

SodaPop growls, low and menacing. He gathers his weight carefully. Maybe if he can jump high enough…

[Sound of CAT yowl and hiss.]

Something smacks him hard across his nose. SodaPop squeals and spins in a quick circle, ready to face his attacker. 

It’s a cat.

He stops, baffled. SodaPop has never had a problem with cats. Sure, he’ll chase one if it’s already running, or looks like it’s about to run, and yes, sometimes that means running up to them to see if they might like to run. But it’s not like he’d actually hurt one if he somehow caught it. Surely they know that.

This cat is hefty and muscular, shorter than he is but much heavier. Her dark gray fur is fluffy and long, making her appear even wider than she is. The corner of one ear has been clipped cleanly, some time long ago, and there’s a faded scar above her left eye. She smells of straw and mouse blood. A barn cat.

The cat watches him, green-gold eyes expressionless. She holds one paw slightly aloft, claws retracted, like she’s ready to smack him again if he makes a wrong move.

First, SodaPop checks the tree. The squirrel is gone. He whines and throws the cat an offended look. He almost had it. Cats know about squirrels. Why would she let it get away?

The cat just watches him. She is very still, and he is very tired, so he elects to sit. He wipes his paw across his muzzle. There’s no blood, no injury. She lowers her own paw, confirming that the conflict between them is over. The swipe was a warning, not an attack. But it still wasn’t very nice.

SodaPop sniffs the air. The sharp smell is gone, replaced by a tapestry of nature scents and sounds. Songbirds have mostly settled in for the night, and night birds have begun to stir. SodaPop can tell that a family of raccoons live nearby. A coyote’s come through here in the last day or so. A few weeks before that, there was a bear. But he can’t tell where home is. He can’t even locate his own trail. And there are no humans here.

SodaPop looks over at the cat again and tilts his head. She flicks her tail slightly and takes a few steps toward a nearby fern. At the edge of it she pauses, thinks for a moment, then looks his way and lets out a soft, high-pitched trill. He hesitates, then follows her.

[SFX: Nighttime forest sounds.]

Above them, a crow calls out for its mate. Upwind, the raccoon counts her kits before she leads them out of the den. The shadows from the trees are so long they almost blend together. And a little dog follows a cat, who seems to know the way.

OUTRO

Thank you for listening to the Tale of SodaPop, part one. 

This episode was written, edited, and narrated by Julie Saunders. The role of SodaPop was played by Archie. The Barn Cat was played by Lulu. Music for this episode was provided by Epidemic Sound -- please see the show notes for titles and composers.

If you want the rest of the story right now, it’s available at Patreon.com/believerpodcast. Otherwise, part two will be out next Tuesday. Until then, please take care of yourself. You deserve to see what tomorrow’s like.

TRANSCRIPT: Prequel - Sun and Moon

A PDF version of this transcript is available here.

CONTENT NOTE

Just a quick note, this episode is a prequel, so it’s set about 4 years before the events of season 1. It also contains strong language and material that may not be appropriate for all listeners. Please see the show notes for more information.

A chime sounds.

INT. LARA'S APARTMENT

LARA CAMPBELL takes a few deep breaths.

LARA: Okay, here we go...

She types.

LARA: Dear Rose Boone...

She stops, hits the delete button several times.

LARA: Miss Boone...

She smashes the delete key again.

LARA: Hi, Rose! This is Lara Campbell, from Lara Campbell's Paranormal Services. Elizabeth Fink from Southern Oregon University sent me your resume and said that you were interesting in helping --

Delete, delete.

LARA: Assisting --

Delete, delete, delete.

LARA: Joining me...the team for this project. Please let me know if --

Delete, delete, delete...

LARA: Please contact me at your earliest convenience. Sincerely...

She hesitates. She continues.

LARA: Sincerely, Lara Campbell.

She pauses to read it back, mumbling indistinctly as she does so.

LARA: Is that too many Lara Campbells? No. Yeah. Okay.

Mouse click. A happy-sounding send sound.

A beat.

An incoming message sound. Lara clicks on it.

ROSE (V.O.): Dear Lara, ye --

That's it.

LARA: Huh?

Another incoming message.

ROSE (V.O.): Sorry, accidentally hit send. Yes, sounds great. Please send info.

Lara considers this.

LARA: Okay...

Another incoming message.

ROSE: Sorry, forgot to include updated contact info. Just learned to do emails on my phone, LOL. See below. -- Rose.

Lara drums her fingers on her desk.

LARA: Well, it's not like anyone else applied.

TITLES

"Believer Theme" plays.

JULIE: Believer: Sun and Moon.

INT./EXT. ROSE'S CAR - DAY

Music plays over a car stereo, which drives down a country road.

LARA (V.O.): Dear Rose, I'm so glad you've decided to assist with this case. I've attached all the details, along with a list of supplies that you'll need. The college should have everything available. This case concerns the Corwin Lake House, a small cottage built near Crater Lake in 1919.

The car slows and then parks. Car door opens.

EXT. CORWIN LAKE HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

Outdoor sounds. Music continues from within the car.

LARA (V.O.): It was built by Peter Corwin, who died under mysterious circumstances in 2004, which is when his grand-nephew, Roger Corwin, inherited it.

Rose walks across the dirt. She whistles softly.

ROSE (to herself): Wow. This place is a disaster. Makes sense why I had to bring all the camping stuff.

LARA (V.O.): The House is in considerable disrepair due to a fire a few years back. Since inheriting it, Roger Corwin has tried to renovate or demolish it a few times. Every time, the contractors he hires have to abandon the job before they can start. Once there was a full electrical outage and they couldn't operate any equipment. Another crew all contracted the same mystery illness. A third had so many freak accidents on the site that OSHA shut them down.

ROSE: This is going to be awesome.

She walks back toward the car. She pops the trunk.

Rose groans.

ROSE: This is so much stuff. There's no way I'll use all of this. Right?

LARA (V.O.): Local legend is that the place is haunted. There have been a few attempts to investigate or exorcise the place, but they've all failed. I think I know why.

She sighs and begins lifting heavy objects out of the trunk.

ROSE: Guess I should've expected the long packing list when I saw how long her emails were.

LARA (V.O.): Peter Corwin was involved with the Sun And Moon Club, a tiny occult group in southern Oregon that was loosely related to Aleister Crowley's Order of the Golden Dawn. Please see attached information for Aleister Crowley, occult magician, 1875 - 1947.

A crash as a heavy machine falls to the ground.

ROSE: Uh, let's just hope that wasn't important.

LARA (V.O.): In the 1910s, Crowley attempted something called the Abramelin Operation in a small house near Loch Ness. The ritual is supposed to summon your guardian angel for ultimate knowledge, but he was interrupted. The house has been haunted ever since. I think something similar happened at the Corwin Lake House.

Rose pauses, UNLOCKS her phone.

ROSE: Wait, how many emails did this lady send me?

LARA: See, what the previous investigators missed is that the Sun And Moon Club was obsessed with duality -- the idea that everything in the world is composed of both itself and its opposite. Hence, sun and moon, representing night and day. Everything comes with an opposite.

ROSE: Oh my god, it just keeps going!

LARA (V.O.): So if they did their own Abramelin-style ritual, they would've used two locations.

ROSE: Okay, screw it.

She locks the phone again.

Rose shoulders a big duffle bag and walks across the dirt.

LARA (V.O.): I found a Ley Line that runs from Crater Lake, through the Oregon Vortex, out to the Oregon Caves. The lake is elevated, so its opposite might be a source of water that's underground, right? Well, the Oregon Caves were made by an underground river.

Rose pulls open a very creaky old door and coughs.

INT. CORWIN LAKE HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

Rose walks across creaky wooden floors. She drops the duffle heavily.

LARA (V.O.): Therefore, we need investigators at both locations. You'll go to Corwin Lake House. I'll go to the Oregon Caves. I think I've found a cave that mirrors the layout of Corwin Lake House. We'll each stay the night at our investigation sites and share the data. Together, I think we can figure this out.

Rose unzips the duffle.

ROSE: So I guess I'll sleep on the least charred part of the floor.

LARA (V.O.): Since cell reception is an issue, please see the attached schedule for regular check-ins. At those times, get to a place with cell and internet so we can sync our data. It's vital that we use the same instruments in the same way so all data matches up. Please see attached layout for where to place the following items.

Rose sifts through a pile of electronics.

LARA (V.O.): EVP machine for capturing electronic voice phenomena. Continually scans radio waves for unexplained sounds.

Rose clicks on the EVP machine, which plays static.

ROSE: Fancy radio.

LARA (V.O.): Infrared thermometer. Please scan regularly for cold spots.

Soft beep of the thermometer.

ROSE: 44 degrees. Or should I do it in Celsius? 7 degrees. This whole place is a cold spot.

LARA (V.O.): Most important is the EMF machine. The one I use is slightly larger than usual.

Rose grunts as she slides a heavy machine into place.

LARA (V.O.): This is crucial for early detection of paranormal phenomena, so please treat it with care.

Rose presses several buttons on the machine. It beeps on, then immediately dies.

ROSE: Probably shouldn't have dropped it.

LARA (V.O.): Finally, please leave a recorder rrunning at all times for record-keeping purposes.

ROSE: Oh, right.

Rose digs through the duffle bag. A happy beep-boop sound signals the voice recorder is on.

ROSE: Testing, testing, this is Rose Boone, ready for a creepy weekend at a burnt-out cabin. Over?

She clicks it off, hits rewind, hits play.

ROSE (RECORDER): Ready for a creepy weekend at a --

She clicks it off and rewinds again.

ROSE: Great. Okay.

Beep-boop!

ROSE: Rose Boone, Corwin Lake House, day one. It's about 10 o'clock in the morning. Current temperature readings at forty -- I mean, seven degrees Celsius. Pretty standard for this time of year. This place is barely standing. Everything is covered in ash, there are big gaps in all the walls and ceiling, most of the furniture is gone.

She steps across the wooden floor.

ROSE: It is pretty, though. You can just see the lake from the window. Well, it's a gaping hole, really, but I think it used to be a window.

She takes a deep breath.

ROSE: The place feels...ready. It's quiet, but there's definitely some kind of energy here. It's like it's been waiting for me.

She pulls out a chair and sits.

ROSE: Well, I'm here. Come out, come out, whatever you are. I'm ready too.

EXT. OREGON CAVES - DAY

Lara walks through the woods with NICK, a park ranger. They've been friends a long time.

LARA: Thanks for setting this up, Ranger Nick.

NICK: Can we just stick with Nick?

LARA: In that uniform? Never.

NICK: You parked where I told you, right?

LARA: At a random turnout, like, two miles from here? Yes. Do you need me to go back and cover it with camo netting or something?

NICK: Lara, nobody can know you're here.

LARA: I'm aware.

NICK: Like, really.

LARA: Nick. This is huge for me, you know? If I'm right about this, it's a totally unexplored paranormal phenomenon. Accurate data is crucial.

Nick grunts his acknowledgment. They walk a little more.

NICK: I thought you were working with someone on this.

LARA: Yeah, a student from SOU. Rose something.

NICK: You like her? Like is she good at ghost stuff?

LARA: Oh. I think so. We've just had the one video chat. Interview. Thing. (beat) She's one of those girls who's, like, annoyingly pretty, you know?

NICK (knowingly): Ah.

LARA: Not like that. I just mean she's like...you know that type?

NICK: Really pretty but straight?

LARA: No! Though, probably. She wears a cross. No, just, you know when you meet people and it's like, you know they experience the world totally differently from you, just because they look like that?

NICK: Oh yeah. I know all about that. She's good, though? Knows about caving safety?

LARA: Oh, she's not going in the caves. I sent her to the lake house. I couldn't ask some psych student to crawl down a dark hole for me.

NICK: Should've figured; you have to be practically married before you let someone into your hole.

LARA: Hey!

NICK (mocking): "Oh, Nick, I really like this person but we've been on twenty-seven dates, is that moving too fast if I kiss their cheek?"

LARA: I hate you.

NICK: Then stop calling me.

LARA: No, I'm gonna call you more. It's the only way you'll learn.

He chuckles. They stop. Lara drops her backpack full of gear.

LARA: So that's it, huh?

NICK: That's the entrance.

LARA: It's...small.

NICK: Which is fine, right? Because you're not claustrophobic.

LARA: No, of course not.

NICK: And you've got gear? Rope, lights, coveralls?

LARA: Rope, lights, machines, sleeping bag...

NICK: You're not seriously going to sleep down there, are you?

LARA: Nick, I have to. Just trust me.

NICK: Because there's a reason we don't include these caves in any of the tours. Like, you can't even book a private excursion here.

LARA: I know. I'll be fine.

Nick hesitates. He hits a button on his walkie-talkie.

NICK: Here. Take my radio. In case of an emergency.

LARA: But won't you get in trouble if they hear me on the radio?

NICK: Yes. So don't have an emergency.

LARA: Got it.

She clicks it on and off a few times.

NICK: Just -- leave it off unless you need it, please.

She clicks it off.

LARA: I love it when I get to see your gooey center.

NICK: Yeah. I'm leaving. Stay safe.

LARA: Roger roger, Ranger Nick!

He groans and walks off into the forest.

INT. CAVE - MOMENTS LATER

A wide chamber in the underground cave system. Drips fall from stalactites. There's a distant source of water somewhere. Everything echoes.

Lara grunts with effort as she crawls through the entrance. She scrambles onto the ground.

LARA: Whew. That was tight.

She drags a bag of gear in behind her and rummages through it.

LARA: Okay, recorder, and...

Beep-boop! Same recorder sound from Rose's scenes.

LARA: Lara Campbell, official log, March 16, 2014, approximately 10:14 AM Pacific Daylight Time.

She sets the recorder down and continues going through equipment.

LARA: I am inside the cave. The entrance is tight, a real squeeze. Possible support for a birth canal metaphor. Currently breaking glowsticks for more light.

She breaks a few glowsticks.

LARA: Exact measurements recorded separately, but it looks similar in size to the main room in the Corwin Lake House plans.

A beat. Cave sounds.

LARA: It's...dark. Like, really dark. I mean, you know it's going to be dark in an underground cave, but...wow. (beat) Okay. Let me get some initial readings.

She sets up various gear -- repeat sounds from Rose's previous scene:

EVP machine (static)

LARA: EVP has no signal, as expected.

EMF machine -- makes same start-up noise, then whirs to life.

LARA: EMF also reading at near zero.

The infrared thermometer beeps.

LARA: Seven degrees Celsius. A detailed temperature map will be included with the final packet, but this is standard year-round in the caves.

She takes a few steps and then calls out.

LARA: Is there anyone here? Any entity, any spirit? If there is anyone here, I'd like to know more about you.

She sets up a small metal box.

LARA: This is a highly-tuned, sensitive device you can use to communicate with me, if you choose. Just press this button for yes --

She clicks a button. A high tone sounds.

LARA: And this button for no.

Another button. A low tone this time.

LARA: If you want to talk, just hit either button three times.

She demonstrates, presses the high tone three times in rhythmic succession.

LARA: Okay?

She waits. No response.

LARA: Okay. Well, I'm here if you want to talk. I'm going to set up camp over here. (to herself) And then, I guess I'll just...wait.

She begins setting up gear.

INT. LAKE HOUSE - DAY

Rose tosses rocks across the floor, bored. After a moment, she picks up the recorder.

ROSE: It has been...two hours. No ghosts. It's nice up here, though. (deep breath) Nature. I think I hear a blue jay.

She drums her fingers on the wood floor.

ROSE: I know. Let's try a tarot read. (to the mic) Oh, uh, I left my cross in the car. Just, you know, in case? But you didn't say anything about personal items, and I just started learning to do this so I thought...well, it's all getting recorded.

She shuffles cards.

ROSE: Okay, Lake House. Tell me about yourself.

She flips over three cards.

ROSE: Ooh. The Empress, The Moon, and the Hanged Man. So we have mother earth, the element of illusion and intuition, and a man who waits to change his point of view. So that could mean, let me look it up...

Rose's phone rings. She grabs it.

ROSE: Hello? Oh, Mom. No, I can't talk now, I'm working. It's a job, Mom, what do you think?
(beat)
I know what Dad said. But, you know, what if the Youth Ministry does it without me this year? (rolls eyes)
They'll be fine, Mom. Those kids don't care what I think.
(beat)
Come on, it's one church trip. It's not like I'm trying conjure the...well.

She looks at the tarot cards and trails off.

Unintelligible sounds come through - the person on the other end sounds angry. Rose sighs, having heard this lecture many times.

ROSE: Oh my god, I can spend one spring break away from home. Besides, they need me here, you know the girl running this thing is...she's actually pretty cool. A little uptight, but...
(beat)
No, I broke up with Sandra over a month ago.
(beat)
Well, that's going to be pretty hard, Mom, because as I have told you, I only date women.

Angry sounds again. Rose talks over them.

ROSE: Okay, well I've gotta -- the reception here is -- ughhh!

She hangs up.

ROSE (sarcastic): Oh no, the call dropped.

She notices the microphone.

ROSE: Wait, was this thing on that whole...shit.

She shuts it off.

INT. VIDEO CALL - DAY

A remote VIDEO CALL app rings, then connects with a little bloopy sound.

LARA: Hello? Rose?

ROSE: Hey! Um, is your camera off?

LARA: Sorry, let me just...

ROSE: Oh, there you -- no, now the screen's frozen.

LARA: The reception...
(crackle)
...tty bad.

ROSE: Yeah, it's not great here either.

LARA: Everything okay at the lake house?

ROSE: Yeah, yeah, I drove right up. Are you at the cave? You look...

LARA: What?

ROSE: Um, nothing.

LARA: Oh, yeah, you have to crawl through the mud to get in and out of the cave.

ROSE: I see. Well, the cabin is barely standing. I don't know why anyone's worried about a construction crew when it's literally about to fall over.

LARA: Well, you know, there's debris and...

ROSE: Okay, yes, I know they need to have professionals do it. I was making a joke.

LARA: Oh. Yeah.

ROSE: Listen, um, it's actually really cool up here. There's an energy to it, you know? It just feels so alive. There's definitely a presence here.

LARA: Have you seen anything?

ROSE: No, it's just...a feeling. So what is this thing, anyway? You said something about binding demons?

LARA: That's what the original ritual calls for. You have to bind the 12 Dukes and Kings of Hell before your guardian angel will appear.

ROSE: Okay, but it's not really like a -- like a demon - demon, is it?

LARA: Oh, I don't know.

ROSE: What?

LARA: I mean, I think the Sun and Moon Club -- that's the one Peter Corwin was a part of -- I think they were trying to do something different. I only found a couple snippets of things, but they seem to talk about it in terms of a birth.

ROSE: So it's a baby demon.

LARA: Well, demon is kind of a loaded term.

ROSE: Right.

LARA: But you should be fine. You put up the seals and signs I gave you, right?

ROSE (definitely not): Oh, uh...yeah. Yeah, of course.

LARA: It's in the binder. You went through the whole binder, right? And the PowerPoint presentation?

ROSE (no, she didn't): Yeah, of course I have the binder. It's very comprehensive.

LARA: Well, this is kind of my first big case. I just want to make sure I covered everything.

ROSE: Sure, but, um, what do you want to actually, like, do?

LARA: What?

ROSE: Like are we trying to exorcise this thing, or is it just research? If I make contact with this thing, what should I say?

LARA: You haven't tried to contact it, have you?

ROSE: I thought that's why I was here.

LARA: Well, first I want to make sure I have good data.

ROSE: Can't demons look like any kind of data they want?

LARA: So like I said, demon is kind of a loaded term...

ROSE: So it seems like the best way is to just talk to it.

Lara hesitates.

LARA: Can you...do that?

ROSE: Lara. If you want me to be your partner on this, you're going to have to trust me.

LARA: Yeah...

ROSE: Because that's what you wanted, right? A partner?

LARA: Um.

ROSE: Because that's what you said in the email. And the interview.

LARA: Yeah. Yeah, I do. But, um, you know how to use the machines and everything, right?

ROSE: God. Yes, okay? I know what I'm doing. Everything is fine.

LARA: Okay, well, take a look at the EMF reader, because some of the readings you sent over is a little strange.

ROSE (that's because she made it up): Huh. Weird.

LARA: Connection is probably --
(glitchy static)
So I should head back...what?

ROSE (stifling laughter): Nothing! There's just so much mud on your face.

LARA: Okay, well, like I said --

ROSE: Is it up your nose?

LARA: I'll clean up before the next call.

ROSE: That would help.

LARA (annoyed): It's not really the point, but...

ROSE: Lara. I'm joking. It's cute!

LARA: Oh. Um. Thank you.

ROSE: I'm sorry.

LARA It's -- it's fine.
(static)
-- just gotta go. Wait, you're still recording everything, ri--

The connection breaks off.

INT. CORWIN LAKE HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

Rose grabs the recorder.

ROSE: Oh, shit, the recorder.

She clicks it back on. Beep-boop!

ROSE: Sorry for the break in the recording, it, uh, malfunctioned. All good now.

She sets the recorder down.

ROSE: I mean, if you knew my mom, you'd...forget it. All systems reading normal. Nothing to do but wait.

INT. CAVE - LATER

Drips and echoes. All is quiet.

LARA: Okay, EMF readings holding steady at...almost zero. EVP also picking up zero. Temperature change, none. Just a big, creepy, dark, damp cave. Which is good. This is baseline. If I'm right, things will change soon. Which will be good. Good good.

A beat.

LARA: I wish I'd brought a chair.

INT. CORWIN LAKE HOUSE - DAY

Rose paces around the burnt-out house.

ROSE: Hello? Helloooo? Anybody here?

A beat.

ROSE: Yeah. Oh -- Tarot cards. Now where were we...

She shuffles the cards. A slight breeze moves through the room.

ROSE: Okay, spirit. Baby demon. Tell me what you are.

The breeze becomes a gust, and the cards fall on the floor.

ROSE: Hey! Ugh, damn it. Let me just...wait.

She picks up the recorder.

ROSE: Rose Boone, Corwin Lake House, 2:13PM. I just dropped my deck of Rider-Waite tarot cards. They all landed face-down except for one.

She takes a few steps on the creaky wooden floor.

ROSE: The Devil.

INT. CAVE

Lara sings to herself, obviously bored.

LARA: I'm in a cave. Iiiii'm in a cave. I'm in a cave trying to meditate. Doot de doo...

Suddenly, the high tone from the yes/no box plays.

LARA: Was that...?

It beeps again.

LARA: The yes/no box.
(to the cave)
Beep three times to...

It beeps again.

LARA: Oh my god.

INT. CORWIN LAKE HOUSE

Rose paces around.

ROSE: Okay. Okay. The Devil card doesn't really mean the Devil. I mean, it does but it doesn't. It's not like, um...here.

She picks up a book, leafs through the pages.

ROSE: There. Okay. Number fifteen. The Devil. Addiction, attachment, the shadow self. Can also indicate duality, as it depicts a man and a woman chained to the Devil's pedestal. Well, that doesn't really help.
(reads on)
"While the man and woman are chained, a close examination reveals the chains are loose around their necks. They can escape anytime they choose. However, the longer they stay, the more like the Devil they become."

The wind picks up. The windows rattle.

ROSE: Spirit of the House? Is that you?

The wind suddenly dies. Silence.

ROSE: Hello...?

INT. CAVE

Lara dusts herself off.

LARA: Alright. Okay. Press that button, the high tone, for yes, and the low tone for no. Okay?

High tone. Lara squeals.

LARA: Yes! Oh my god. Um, recording's on...let's talk.

High tone again.

LARA: Are you one who is dead?

A beat. The low tone sounds.

LARA: Low tone. No. Are you alive?

Low tone again.

LARA: Do you know that the low tone means no?

Silence.

LARA: Sorry, was that rude?

Silence.

LARA: Wait, don't -- are you neither alive nor dead?

A beat. High tone. Lara sighs, relieved.

LARA: Do you want to be alive?

High tone.

LARA: Do you need my help?

High tone. Lara laughs, almost giddy.

LARA: Okay. Wait. I forgot a question, um... Do you mean me harm?

A beat. The low tone sounds. Then the high tone. Then both, alternating fast, over and over.

There’s a low rumble through the cave. Lara steps back.

LARA: Listen, if I offended you somehow, um...

Suddenly, BATS fill the cave. They swoop through, dozens of them, squeaking and flapping their wings. Lara screams. They fly up, out the chutes at the top of the cave, and are gone.

And then...silence. Lara breathing hard.

LARA: Are you...still there?

Silence.

Lara sinks down onto the sleeping bag.

LARA: Okay. Good data.

INT. CORWIN LAKE HOUSE

Rose walks toward the rattling windows.

The EVP machine suddenly flips to a new channel. It bursts to life, playing old, creaky HYMNS on the radio. Rose gasps.

ROSE: It is you! Spirit, please. You can talk to me. What if we -- what if we try the cards again? Here. Tell me what you want.

She shuffles the cards. The hymn continues to play.

ROSE: The Fool...The Sun...The Moon. The Sun and Moon Club?

A high tone rings out from the yes/no box, long and clear.

ROSE: Okay. Okay!

The wind picks up again. Rose shouts over the wind, the music, and the ringing high tone.

ROSE: I'll help you! I'm here to help you! Spirit?

And it all stops.

ROSE: I'll help you. It'll be okay.

Soft static from the EVP machine.

INT. VIDEO CALL - EVENING

An app rings, then connects.

LARA: Hi.

ROSE: I think I...talked to it.

LARA: Me too!

ROSE: Really?

LARA: Simultaneous phenomena! Oh, this could be huge.

ROSE: Yeah, I was doing this tarot read --

LARA: Wait, what? We didn't talk about tarot.

ROSE: And this wind picked up, right? Just -- whoosh! Running through the whole place. Because of the gaps in the walls. Right? And it just scattered my tarot deck.

LARA: See, but that's adding divination techniques to just one half of the experiment --

ROSE: Except this one card. The Devil.

A pause.

ROSE: Did you hear me? Is this thing breaking up?

LARA: Yeah. Just, this is a major variable I didn't account for.

ROSE: Oh my god, Lara. I'm telling you I talked to a ghost.

LARA: That claimed to be the Devil.

ROSE: No, no, it's the Devil card. Do you not know Tarot? The actual meaning is much more complex.

LARA: Just...put it in the report, please.

ROSE: I just thought I'd try something. I mean, there's nothing to do, and after the EMF reader broke, I figured --

LARA: Wait, what?!

ROSE: Oh, uh --

LARA: The EMF Reader is broken?

ROSE: I -- it -- something happened in transit.

LARA: Wait, so it's been broken all day? So you have no readings from the lake house at all.

ROSE: I did all the other things.

LARA: EMF is the most reliable measurement tool in the industry. I can't believe -- ugh!

ROSE (annoyed): Look, it was an accident, okay? And we both communicated with spirits anyway today, right? I mean, what happened to you in the cave?

LARA (still sulking): Listen, it's getting dark soon, and this thing will likely be most active at night.

ROSE: Lara...

LARA: It's fine. We'll just record everything and figure it out later. Make sure you have the wards up that I gave you. From the binder.

ROSE: Shouldn't I know what happened on your end?

LARA: We won't have any check-ins overnight because it's too disruptive to get a signal, so we have to make sure we're on the same page now.

ROSE: I have the binder.

LARA: Okay. Just...we don't know what this thing is, or what it wants. It could be dangerous.

ROSE: It didn't feel dangerous to me. More like...desperate.

LARA: Desperate things can be dangerous.

ROSE: I think it just wants our help.

LARA: Well, I think we should be careful and not mess up the data with a bunch of unplanned experiments. Okay?

ROSE: Okay.

LARA: Talk to you in the morning.

Lara disconnects.

ROSE (sarcastic): Looking forward to it.

INT. CAVE - NIGHT

Cave dripping sounds. Machines still going.

Lara shuffles in her sleep bag. She picks up the recorder.

LARA

(whispers)

It's after 11:15 PM. No activity so far.

(beat)

I don’t know why I’m whispering. It’s just...so quiet. And dark. So dark. Oppressive dark. I keep reminding myself that I can breathe.

(Beat)

There’s no difference between day and night down here. It’s just...I didn’t know it could be too dark to sleep, you know? Glad I brought extra lights.

Lara rummages in her bag, pulls out a glowstick. She breaks it, then jumps.

LARA

Oh my god...!

(beat)

Oh. Never mind. I thought I saw...nothing. Never mind. I should try to sleep.

She settles back into the sleeping bag.

INT. CORWIN LAKE HOUSE - NIGHT

Crickets. Owls. It's a clear night, with all the night animals out and about.

Rose stirs fitfully on a little cot.

She wakes up with a gasp. She takes a moment to get her bearings, realize where she is and that she's safe.

She grabs the recorder.

ROSE

I just had this...dream. God, it was so real. Um. I was walking in this long, flat desert. No trees, no plants, no life. Just silver sand as far as I could see. But there were stars. Not like stars we have here. These were huge, all different colors, bright and...dancing. They were so...I felt like I could see forever. Like if I looked up into those stars I’d see...everything. And as I looked at them I thought I could hear this...song. I could hear the stars sing.

(beat)

But then there was something there. In the desert. It was there but also not there, like an...anti-presence. It had arms that twisted in all directions, and at the center just this infinite...darkness. But it wasn't scary. It was...joyful. Comforting. I was so happy to see it.

(she smiles)

It told me to open my mouth. And then it reached out, and -- and I sang it too. I sang with the stars.

She takes a moment, chuckles softly, reliving the memory.

ROSE

And then it...it said something. Shit, I can't remember. It was important. It said something and then it said..."Look behind you."

Rose turns. She gasps.

She drops the microphone.

INT. CAVE - NIGHT

Lara sleeps fitfully, snores, then jolts awake.

LARA

What...what happened to the lights?

She breathes hard, frightened. She scrambles around in the dark, knocks something over, finally finds an electric lantern and clicks it on.

LARA

Okay...whew.

Something scuffs the ground, a few rocks fall.

LARA

What was that?

Water drips. Somewhere far down the cave system, a rock falls and echoes, echoes, echoes up the various tunnels.

LARA

( calls out)

Is someone there?

(to herself)

I'm going crazy. I had some kind of really weird dream, I...I think. I can't remember.

Suddenly, the HIGH TONE from the yes/no box sounds.

LARA

Hello? Is -- is that you?

No response.

LARA

God. I gotta get all the lights back on. Maybe the duration on them wasn't...

HIGH TONE again.

A beat.

LARA

I need to calibrate that thing.

LOW TONE.

LARA

Oh. Uh, sorry, I --

LOW TONE.

LARA

Okay. Okay! I'm sorry I doubted you. Let's talk.

LOW TONE. LOW TONE. LOW TONE.

FADE TO:

INT. CORWIN LAKE HOUSE - NIGHT

Rose breathes, frightened.

ROSE

You're here.

The entity speaks in a soft, strange whisper...

ENTITY

Yes...

ROSE

You can speak.

Silence -- a soft wind blows.

ROSE

Was that you? In my dream?

ENTITY

Rose...no time...

ROSE

How do you know my name?

ENTITY

I want...to be...

ROSE

To be what? What are you?

ENTITY

Not alive. Not dead. It is...excruciating...I want...to be...

ROSE

What do you need?

ENTITY

A vessel...

ROSE

A body?

ENTITY

A vessel...to carry us...to each other...

ROSE

Like a jug?

ENTITY

We are in pieces...two halves...different but the same...

ROSE

Your other half...is it in the cave?

ENTITY

No time, Rose...No time...

ROSE

Wait! Tell me what to do.

ENTITY

I must go...rest...no time...

ROSE

No, don't go!

The wind GUSTS, and night sounds return to normal.

ROSE

Hello? Come back!

No response.

ROSE

Hello?

Silence.

ROSE

The recorder!

Rose picks up the microphone. She shuts it off, then REWINDS quickly. She clicks play. The recorder plays through tinny speakers.

ROSE (RECORDER)

Was that you? In my dream?

The entity's voice is replaced by STATIC.

ROSE

What? No.

ROSE (RECORDER)

How do you know my name?

Static.

ROSE

No. No no no...

ROSE (RECORDER)

To be what? What are --

She clicks stop, then fast-forwards briefly and hits play again.

ROSE (RECORDER)

...do you need?

Static.

ROSE (RECORDER)

A body?

Static.

ROSE

(overlapping recording)

Shit!

ROSE (RECORDER)

Like a jug?

Static.

ROSE

Shit, shit, shit! Why don't any of these stupid machines work?

She clicks stop. She throws the recorder.

She groans in frustration.

ROSE

Lara's gonna kill me.

FADE TO:

INT. CAVE - NIGHT

The repeating LOW TONE fades back in.

LARA

Are you...are you trying to play? Is this a game?

One long, droning LOW TONE.

Lara groans, covers her ears.

LARA

Okay! That's enough!

The drone morphs into a kind of otherworldly HOWL.

Lara screams.

It crescendos and then --

SILENCE.

Lara jolts awake.

LARA

Wait...what?

She scrambles up off the dirt.

LARA

Was that a...dream?

She shivers, suddenly feeling the cold.

LARA

Jesus, it's cold. How did I even get out of the sleeping bag?

She reaches for the sleeping bag, then jolts back. Bugs SKITTER out of it across the floor.

LARA

Gah! Cave crickets. Gross.

She rubs her arms.

LARA

Guess I'm awake now.

She grabs a jacket, shakes it out, then zips it up.

LARA

Maybe the machines got something.

INT. VIDEO CALL - MORNING

The call connects. Both women are exhausted, subdued.

ROSE

Morning.

LARA

Looks like you had an interesting night too.

ROSE

I spoke to it. Again. But for real this time.

LARA

What?

ROSE

It...appeared. Kind of. It knew my name.

LARA

It spoke? Words?

ROSE

Yeah. It says it wants be reunited with its other half.

LARA

Rose, that's incredible. Can you send me the recording?

ROSE

Well, the recorder didn't pick it up.

LARA

What?

ROSE

It's just my voice for some reason.

LARA

And I'm guessing the EMF is still broken.

ROSE

Well...

LARA

So there's no proof.

ROSE

I'm telling you it happened. Isn't that enough?

Lara sighs.

LARA

What did it say?

ROSE

It said...there's no time. And it needs a "vessel" to carry it to its other half.

LARA

A vessel? What, like a jug?

ROSE

I'm not sure. It said that it's half-born, not alive and not dead. It...hates it. Being halfway.

LARA

So I was right. About the Sun and Moon Club. They were trying to birth a new entity. Rose, this is amazing.

ROSE

(preoccupied)

Yeah.

LARA

What is it?

ROSE

I was just thinking...do you know The Origin of Love?

LARA

Oh. That's a deep question.

ROSE

No, it's a story. From Plato, writing about Aristophanes. It says that originally, all humans were made up of two parts, two people fused together. Four hands, four feet, two heads. And they were different genders, like, some of them were two male halves, and some two female halves, some one of each. Every combination.

LARA

Right.

ROSE

Anyway, the gods got mad at them for some reason, I can't remember, and they split them all in half. And that's what humans are now. We're incomplete, walking around looking for the other halves of ourselves. And when two pieces find each other, they know real happiness. Completion.

LARA

Huh.

ROSE

I don't know, this just reminded me of it.

LARA

Two halves that make up one whole.

ROSE

What do you think this thing is, once it's put back together?

LARA

I don't know. I don't know if we should find out.

(beat)

Listen, um, I'm sorry about before. Yesterday. The yelling. I should've been more of a partner.

ROSE

Yeah.

LARA

It's just that you're so...and I'm so...so it's just like...you know?

ROSE

Um...no?

LARA

Sorry, nothing, I'm -- I'm tired. I had this dream.

ROSE

Me too.

LARA

It was terrifying.

ROSE

Oh. Mine was beautiful.

LARA

I think this thing...I don't think its intentions are good.

ROSE

Why? What did it say to you?

LARA

It didn't use words. It was more of a...feeling. I'm thinking we should prepare a banishing ritual. Just in case.

ROSE

What? No!

LARA

Just in case!

ROSE

That's not what it wants.

LARA

I don't think we should do what it wants.

ROSE

It wants to be born. It lives in agony. "Excruciating," it said.

LARA

Rose, if it can speak, then it can lie. This is really dangerous.

ROSE

Well, I think we have to take a chance here.

Lara hesitates.

LARA

How about this. We'll gather materials for a ritual. See what other information you can get. We can regroup around noon and decide what to do then.

ROSE

What do we have to do?

LARA

We each need to find four objects that represent each of the four classical elements. Earth, fire, water, air. And some kind of vessel to hold each one.

ROSE

That's what the spirit wanted. A vessel.

LARA

So we're on the right track, then. After that you need some kind of oil to anoint yourself with. They would've used something called Abramelin oil, but pretty much any kind of water or oil should work.

ROSE

I might actually have something for that. My parents do this kind of faith healing thing.

LARA

Oh. Your parents are, like, preachers?

Thunder rumbles.

ROSE

Yeah, I'm a lesbian psychic with a preacher dad. Can we move along?

It starts to rain.

LARA

Oh, you're a...I didn't...

ROSE

Can we hurry this along? I think there's a storm coming in and the reception's about to get even worse.

LARA

Right. Okay. Next you draw a pentagram on the floor.

ROSE

A pentagram? Aren't those Satanic?

LARA

As much as Tarot is Satanic.

ROSE

Makes sense, I guess.

More thunder.

LARA

Storm's on my end, too.

ROSE

Interesting. Okay, what next?

LARA

You set a strong intention and ask the spirit to leave.

ROSE

Like is there an incantation? Or do we just say, like, "Please leave?"

LARA

(audio glitching)

Listen, the storm is getting...can we...later?

ROSE

What?

LARA

Just get what you can.

(static)

Noon, okay?

ROSE

What? You're breaking up.

LARA

We'll talk at noon.

ROSE

Okay --

(glitching, static)

If we can -- I'm sure it -- okay?

LARA

I'm not --

Static. The line drops.

INT. CORWIN LAKE HOUSE - DAY

Rose walks around the uneven floor.

ROSE

Okay, so, vessels. I wonder if there are any old vases or something in here.

She opens a few cabinets.

ROSE

Empty...empty...oh!

She opens a cabinet door a nd a BUNCH OF OLD GLASS JARS AND WINE GLASSES FALL OUT.

ROSE

Jars and wine glasses. That'll work. As long as it's not too...ow! Shit, now I'm bleeding.

She hurries across the floor.

As she does, the EVP MACHINE suddenly clicks on. It searches radio stations and lands on a religious channel:

PREACHER (RADIO)

This is he that came by water and blood --

(static)

-- water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that --

It returns to static.

ROSE

Um...

Stations flip again.

ROSE

I mean, that thing just scans channels randomly, right? That's not...

It flips channels again. A snippet of music. Then, the religious station again:

PREACHER (RADIO)

That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is --

Static.

ROSE

Is it you? Spirit? Is this how you speak during the day?

Scanning channels again. Thunder rumbles. The machine CLICKS OFF.

ROSE

Flesh...and blood.

She considers. Rain falls.

EXT. OREGON CAVES - DAY

Lara walks through the woods.

LARA

Okay...for the record.

She turns on the recorder with a blip-bloop!

LARA

Gathering elements for a potential banishing ritual. I set out a tray to catch some rain, for water. I'm gonna grab some earth from right outside the opening to help lure the spirit out there. I don't want to light a fire in there, but hopefully an orange glow stick will work. Air is a little tricky, but I was thinking...

A STELLER'S JAY call rings out.

LARA

Bird feathers. Now let me just see if...

She grabs at some twigs.

LARA

I gotta set this down.

Bloop-blip! Recorder is off.

Lara fumbles in the branches of a tree for a few moments.

LARA

Okay, um...jackpot!

An odd, distorted version of the HOWLING SCREAM from last night rings out.

Lara cries out, stumbles backward, and falls into the grass.

LARA

What was that?

She's quiet for a moment. It doesn't repeat. Just the STELLER'S JAY again.

Suddenly, Lara's WALKIE-TALKIE sputters to life.

NICK (RADIO)

Steller's Jays are excellent mimics.

Lara jumps again.

LARA

What -- oh god, the walkie.

She rummages through some things and unclips it.

NICK (RADIO)

Oh yeah, they copy other birds, construction noises...pretty much anything they hear often enough.

LARA

I thought this was off.

NICK (RADIO)

Yeah.

He laughs, apparently talking to someone else. The transmission ends.

LARA

Oh...it is off.

(beat)

Okay, so that was weird.

INT. CORWIN LAKE HOUSE

Thunder and rain. The storm is beginning in earnest.

Rose sets out a JAR FULL OF PEBBLES.

ROSE

Okay. Jar of rocks for earth. Electronics moved away from the leaky spots in the roof.

ROSE

Microphone still on. This thing has, like, forever batteries.

Water drips. She sets a bucket underneath it.

ROSE

Water. That works.

She sighs, hesitates.

ROSE

For the record, I bandaged my hand. Although I wonder if...no. Using my blood to summon an unknown spiritual entity seems...unwise.

Thunder. Loud. Close. The house shakes.

The EVP machine clicks on. In the static:

ENTITY (RADIO)

I need...to live...

It reverts to static.

ROSE

Um...

On the laptop, a BEEP and then the recorded clip from the previous night plays.

ROSE (RECORDING)

What do you need?

Static in response.

A quick FAST-FORWARD noise, then:

ROSE (RECORDING)

Wait! Tell me what to do.

This repeats, like a skipping record.

ROSE (RECORDING)

Wait! Tell me what to do. Tell me what to do. Tell me what to do.

ROSE

Spirit? This is scaring me...

The thunder hits again, hard, rattling everything. The static and repeating recording continue.

FADE TO:

INT. CAVE - SAME

It's quiet. Just dripping and other cave noises.

Lara drags a piece of CHALK along the ground.

LARA

And there's the pentagram. Okay -- dirt for earth, rain for water, light for fire, feather for air. Prepped some oil earlier, so that's on standby. Walkie-talkie still...off.

She takes a breath. Looks around for a beat.

LARA

So that's...everything. Oh!

She picks up the mic.

LARA

Recorder still running. Everything is set up for the ritual. I'm just waiting for my next check-in call with Rose in a few minutes. Hopefully we can pull this off.

She fidgets. Considers.

LARA

You know, she could be right. About the spirit. It might be benign. I could always try to...connect with it somehow. I guess. See what I can find out. I'm not psychic, but sometimes I get...feelings.

She sets the mic down on the floor, sits.

LARA

Okay, spirit. Half-spirit. I'm open. Tell me what you are.

She takes a deep breath.

BACK TO:

INT. CORWIN LAKE HOUSE

Chaos and noise, as before. Rose suddenly CRIES OUT in pain.

ROSE

Aghh! My hand!

She struggles, fights. She FALLS hard onto the ground.

ROSE

No!

Thunder rumbles again.

Rose slides sideways. She IMPACTS some jars and glass bottles.

ROSE

I'm trying to help you!

The EVP machine flips channels.

PREACHER (RADIO)

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of Heaven.

It flips channels again.

Rose struggles to her feet. She falls again.

ROSE

How are you doing this?

Thunder. Static. Rattling glass.

The laptop plays again, awkwardly jumping into the middle of a recording.

ROSE (RECORDING)

Number fifteen. The Devil. Addiction, attachment, the shadow self. Can also indicate duality, as it depicts --

Rose struggles to her feet.

ROSE

The laptop. I've got to call Lara.

ROSE (RECORDING)

this infinite...darkness. But it wasn't scary. It was...joyful. Comforting. I was so --

Rose fights her way across the floor, GRUNTING as she goes.

ROSE (RECORDING)

Wait! Tell me --

Rose clicks it off.

ROSE

Okay, okay, video call. Lara.

She clicks. The video call sound rings out. It rings and rings. Then disconnects.

ROSE

No! No!

She clicks again. The ringing begins again.

Thunder. Rattling. A glass jar BURSTS.

ROSE

Come on, come on, come on...

The app rings again.

FADE TO:

EXT. OREGON CAVES - DAY

It's raining, hard. Lara crawls out of the entrance hole, stands, and dusts herself off.

LARA

Well, that was a waste of time. Or it was peaceful. I guess it depends on interpretation.

Soft rumble of thunder.

Lara unlocks her phone, goes to tap something, and -- it instantly connects.

LARA

Rose?

Noise, chaos comes through the phone's speakers.

ROSE (PHONE)

Lara? It's not what we thought. Lara! You need to run.

She screams. The call drops.

LARA

Rose? Rose!

Lara calls back. The phone rings once, then drops.

LARA

Oh my god. Um. Maybe if I go back in and do the ritual --

v A loud RUMBLE. Lara SHOUTS as everything shakes. Rocks fall. She scrambles out of the way.

Lara rights herself, breathing hard.

LARA

The entrance. It's...

She GRUNTS as she tries to pull a few rocks aside.

LARA

It's totally collapsed.

Lara hesitates. She grabs her phone. Blip-bloop! Recording app is on.

LARA

For the record. The entrance tunnel has collapsed. Rose is...something's happening at the lake house. If it needs both of us to end this, then I need to get back inside.

She takes a few steps in the mud.

LARA

I think I have an alternate way in. Those bats get out somehow, right?

She hesitates again. Thunder.

LARA

Yeah. Okay. I'm going in.

Blip-bloop. Recording off. Lara climbs the rocks.

INT. CORWIN LAKE HOUSE

The call ends. Rose clicks frantically.

ROSE

Lara? Lara!

A recording plays from the laptop again.

ROSE (RECORDING)

it reached out, and -- and I sang it too. I sang --

Rose THROWS the laptop with a grunt. It slams into a wall and breaks.

The EVP machine clicks on.

PREACHER (RADIO)

That which is flesh is --

Rose hits it hard. It statics to silence.

ROSE

No! You can't talk to me. You don't get to do this.

Quiet for a moment. Just rain.

ROSE

Lara said it's about intention. Okay, well, I intend for you to leave.

Thunder again, even louder. The whole house shakes, the glass rattles.

INT. CAVE TUNNEL

Lara CRAWLS through the tunnel, grunting and scrambling.

LARA

(With effort)

Okay, it’s a little bit tight, but -- ugh -- I can do it. I just need to --

Her headlamp thunks into something. It shatters.

LARA

Shit. That was my light. Oh, shit. Okay, I just need to reach into my bag for...I don't have my bag.

She takes a few breaths.

LARA

Okay. I can do this. I can climb in the dark. Right? It's the same as the light except you...don't know what things are. Which is fine. Ohhhh god, why is everything wet?

She keeps crawling, a slow journey through the earth.

LARA

(Sings)

Ohh, Old MacDonald had a cave, E-I-E-I...ow! And on this cave she had a --

She grunts, shifts, pulls through a tight spot.

LARA

Squeeze -- ugh -- E-I-E-I-O. With a -- ouch! Okay -- here and a twist-twist there -- ugh -- here a rock, there a rock, everywhere a -- whoa!

She slips on slick rocks. Scrambling, chaos, rocks moving around.

LARA

Okay, let me just --

She slides to a sudden stop.

LARA

Okay.

She twists, grunts. She can't move.

LARA

Oh. Oh god.

She pushes harder, grunts. No dice.

LARA

Oh god oh god oh god. Okay, no. It's fine. I'm not stuck. I just need to twist my hips that way and put my shoulders through -- ahhhhh!

She stops, takes a moment to catch her breath.

LARA

It's fine. I'll just crawl back. Oh god, it's so dark...

She struggles, scrambles, rocks scatter. She does not move.

LARA

(desperate)

Okay, so...so that doesn't work either.

A beat. A small static CRACKLE.

LARA

The walkie. Oh my god. For emergencies.

She shifts and struggles.

LARA

If I can just get my hand back to...ahhhhhhh okay.

BEEP of a walkie-talkie button.

LARA

Hello? Can anyone hear me? Over?

Silence.

LARA

Hello? Anyone?

Silence.

LARA

Help.

INT. CORWIN LAKE HOUSE

Thunder. Noise. Rose sits on the floor, whispering to herself.

ROSE

Please go away, please go away, please go away...

The room shakes again.

ROSE

You keep this up and I'll stop saying please!

No response.

ROSE

Come on, Lara. I need you.

INT. CAVE TUNNEL

Lara struggles again, but half-hearted now. She might be giving up.

STATIC and unintelligible noise over the walkie-talkie.

LARA

Hello? Hello! Is someone there?

The static wavers. Rose's voice breaks through.

ROSE (RADIO)

Come on, Lara. I need you.

It statics, then sputters back to silence.

LARA

Rose? Hello? I...

Silence.

LARA

Okay. Okay. I can do this. I...i have to do this, so...Just listen. Don't force it. Deep breath...

She breathes in, then exhales all the way...and suddenly SLIIIIIDES down through the rocks at an alarming rate.

LARA

I made -- ahhhhh!

INT. CAVE - CONTINUOUS

Rocks slip and fall to the ground. Lara tumbles in after them, screaming as she goes. She lands heavily on the ground.

LARA

Owww...

(beat)

Rose. Spirit. Okay.

She crawls into place.

LARA

Okay, spirit. You want me to connect? Let's connect. And then you need to go.

INT. CORWIN LAKE HOUSE

As before.

ROSE

Go away, go away, go away...

A ZAP and RUMBLE as LIGHTNING strikes the house. Rose screams.

ROSE

You want to burn the house down? Fine! Just get the fuck out!

INT. CAVE

Lara wheezes. The machines suddenly spring to life, all beeping and alarming at once.

LARA

Okay. I get it. You're half-here. It hurts. I hurt. So just go, be with your other half, whatever, just get out of here!

BATS fly through the cave again.

LARA

Oh for fucks' sake, just go!

The bats fly out.

We hear both women's voices at once.

LARA

Go away!

ROSE

Get out!

Silence. A beat.

LARA

...Spirit? You there?

INT. CORWIN LAKE HOUSE

Sound of fire. Rose coughs.

ROSE

Do you hear me? Just go!

A beat. All is silent, except for the fire and a gentle rain.

ROSE

Oh my god. It worked.

A wood beam CRACKS and tumbles in the fire.

ROSE

And now I should go.

She coughs and hurries out.

INT. VIDEO CALL - LATER

Video call ring. It connects.

ROSE

Lara? Lara! Oh my god!

LARA

Are you okay?

ROSE

Yeah -- yeah.

LARA

Wait...is that the Corwin House?

ROSE

Oh...yeah. The firefighters are on it, but I don't think Mr. Corwin has to worry about demolition anymore.

LARA

And all the equipment's inside?

ROSE

Um...

LARA

I am in so much trouble.

NICK (O.S.)

You're in trouble?!

ROSE

Who's that?

LARA

Oh, I had to call a friend to get me out.

NICK (O.S.)

You think we're still friends after this?!

LARA

He's fine.

ROSE

Listen, Lara, I...I'm just so glad you're okay.

LARA

Yeah. You too. It's weird, when I was in the cave I...I thought I heard you. Is that weird?

ROSE

No, I...I know what you mean. It was like you were here. With me.

A beat. They both speak at once.

LARA

Listen, I'm sorry about --

ROSE

So, about earlier --

The break off and chuckle.

ROSE

Do you want to meet up sometime? Talk about all of this?

LARA

Oh, like a debrief?

ROSE

I was thinking, like, pizza. Or...

LARA

Oh, yeah, um...

ROSE

Unless you're vegan. Though, there's a great vegan place in Ashland.

LARA

That would be...yes. We should do that.

NICK (O.S.)

Seriously? You're doing this right now?

LARA

(whispers)

Shush!

A CRASH on Rose's end.

ROSE

Okay, I think I need to give someone a statement or something.

LARA

Yeah, I should go too.

ROSE

Okay.

LARA

I'll call you?

ROSE

Yeah. Yeah, I would like that.

NICK (O.S.)

Oh my god!!

LARA

See you later.

ROSE

(laughs)

Yeah.

The call ends.

EXT. OREGON CAVES

The rain has stopped. Birds sing in the trees. Lara lays back, sighs happily.

NICK

What happened in there?

LARA

It was amazing.

NICK

Great. Now get out of my damn park.

LARA

Roger roger, Ranger Nick.

Nick groans. Lara laughs, then groans.

LARA

Okay, I might've cracked some ribs.

Nick laughs.

FADE OUT

OUTRO

Thank you for listening to our special Halloween episode. This one was a real adventure to make, and I really appreciate you tuning in to listen. I also continue to appreciate your reviews, tweets, comments, and other support and engagement for this show. It really means a lot.

This show is currently self-funded, and it’s been a tough year, for me as well as, I’m sure, for many of you, so if you’re in a position to do so, your financial support goes a long way. Subscribe monthly on Patreon for access to rewards, perks, and inside information about the show. Go to patreon.com/believerpodcast for more information. You can also purchase tee shirts, stickers, or other merchandise at our TeePublic site.

New episodes are coming soon. Until then...if you’re working in your lab late one night, and your eyes behold a terrible sight? Don’t worry. It’s just the mash. I mean, the Monster Mash. After all, it is a graveyard smash.

Happy Halloween. Bye now.

TRANSCRIPT: 1.05 - Squatch Talk

A PDF version of this transcript is available here.

INTRO

Believer Theme song plays.

NARRATOR Believer. Episode 5. Stay tuned after this episode for some important announcements.

INT. JAKE'S HOUSE - DAY

Heavy Metal PODCAST MUSIC plays. JAKE sits across the kitchen table from ABE RAMIREZ. Abe is a conspiracy theorist like Jake, but the techie kind. He is cool and serious where Jake is enthusiastic and passionate.

JAKE Hello and welcome to SQUATCH TALK, broadcasting from the heart of the Oregon Bigfoot Highway. We're here to discuss the news and information about our most mysterious neighbor, Sasquatch. I'm Jake Talbott, and this is my co-host --

ABE We'll see.

JAKE Interim co-host --

ABE Guest for this episode --

JAKE Abe Ramirez!

ABE Yo.

JAKE Now, citizens of Charity know Abe from the local public access station --

ABE W-K-C-H, Charity's only local public radio.

JAKE What you may not know about Abe is that he's also one of the region's foremost experts on paranormal events.

ABE The truth is out there, folks.

JAKE Alright, let's get to the main topic: Sasquatch. Bigfoot.

ABE Skunk Ape.

JAKE Gigantopithecus.

ABE El Sisimite.

JAKE They have Bigfoot in Mexico?

ABE I don't know. I'm Guatemalan.

JAKE Right. But, uh, you said you had some recordings you wanted to share?

ABE Yeah. As your listeners may know, my show on W-K-C-H has an open inbox policy, so anyone can call with tips and we might choose to explore them on air.

JAKE That's how you found that big story on the Farmer's Market price-fixing, right?

ABE Yeah, that was a good one. But I also get a lot of calls that are more...difficult to authenticate.

JAKE 'Squatchy, you might say.

ABE I...might say that. Anyway, I thought I'd play them for you and get your take.

JAKE Please! Let's hear it!

ABE Alright. (clicking on laptop) Let's start with...this one.

Beedle-oop! The recording starts.

BILL (on recording) Hey, this is Bill [BLEEP]. I've been listening to your show and, uh, just wondered if you've heard anything like this. See, I was backpacking up around Eagle Creek about two weeks ago. About my third day out there, I was up real early in the morning and I heard this...knocking. Not at my tent, more like out in the trees. Someone was knocking the branches together. Well, I figured it was some kids out screwing around, but it was just strange enough that I thought I'd check it out. So I shouted, you know, "Hey! You kids! Quiet down out there!" That kind of thing. And then...then it got weird. See, there was this crashing. Like something big breaking through the brush. Real big. Mowing down everything in its path. Coming toward me. I kind of froze, you know, not sure what to do? But as it got closer...the smell. Bad smell. Real bad. Like sulfur mixed with feces. Real bad. And that kind of shook me loose, you know, so I took cover behind a boulder nearby. And just as it crashed out of the woods, it made this noise -- like a, like a roar. Kind of a lion mixed with like a, like an elephant. Just real loud. And then it was just...gone. Now, I didn't see what it was. It was gone when I came out. But my whole tent and my camp stove were thrown over. And -- you know, we don't get a lot of bears here, but I know bears. It wasn't a bear. Anyway, just wondered if you heard about an escaped animal? Maybe from the zoo or something? Thought I'd mention it. Because this thing, it was real big, real smelly, real aggressive. Seems like you'd warn people. Okay, that's it. Thanks!

Beedle-boop. The recording stops.

JAKE Yeah, that's a 'Squatch.

ABE You're sure?

JAKE Oh yeah. Classic Sasquatch encounter.

ABE In Eagle Creek?

JAKE Oh, well, Sasquatch have got huge territories. And make no mistake, they are territorial. That knocking Bill heard? That's how they communicate.

ABE To other Bigfoots. Bigfeet.

JAKE They take two big branches, right? And they just slam them together. I see it all the time on my Sasquatch Trail.

ABE You see them? Sasquatches?

JAKE No, I see the branches.

ABE Ah.

JAKE Trust me, big tree branches don't just fall. Not on each other. Not, you know, perpendicular. It's Sasquatch, every time.

ABE So why didn't this Sasquatch stick around? It just ran through.

JAKE Oh, well, they don't stick around long. Your average Bigfoot encounter is only about 10 seconds. They're shy animals. My guess, this one heard Bill yelling, thought he was a rival male, and just made a quick territorial display. Just enough to scare him off.

ABE A warning.

JAKE Exactly. This is why you always approach the Sasquatch with respect. Talk quietly. Leave an apple for them to find. That's how you gain their trust.

ABE How long have you been working on the Sasquatch out by your place, Jake?

JAKE Oh, we've been on good terms for a few years now. It started with just the one, but now there's a whole clan that comes around. They're beautiful creatures.

ABE You've seen them?

JAKE Well, no. But they take the apples. That's how you know. When the apples are gone.

ABE Okay, well, here's a listener question you can maybe answer, as the local expert.

JAKE Sure.

Beedle-oop! Another recording.

BENNIE Hey, listen, Abe, I want you to find out what the aliens are doing with the Sasquatch around here. You know they've been going together lately. Every time you see a UFO, there's another damn Sasquatch. It's an infestation! This is the kind of stuff your show should look at, you know. I've been listening for a year now, and some of the topics you get into are really pretty useless. But this --

Bloop. It cuts off.

ABE That's enough of that.

JAKE You know, your show should focus on more of this stuff, Abe.

ABE That's what your show is for.

JAKE Man, there are things going on out here that the public just has no idea about.

ABE The government is hacking our phones, and you want me to talk about a hairy man in the woods? Come on, man. (beat) But this connection between Sasquatch and aliens -- that's interesting.

JAKE It all comes back to aliens with you.

ABE No, man, I looked into it. Sasquatch encounters are highly correlated with UFO sightings.

JAKE Sasquatch is not an alien.

ABE But could he have been created by aliens? Maybe the same ones who created us?

JAKE Come on, man.

ABE No, really -- hairless skin? Weak teeth and claws? Big, heavy head we hold far from the ground? Why? You really think those are the product of natural selection? Survival of the fittest?

JAKE Okay, well, you have a point.

ABE Of course I do, man.

JAKE So what, a race of extraterrestrial Sasquatches came down to earth and made humans for...some reason?

ABE No, no. That would be silly. Sasquatch was an earlier experiment.

JAKE To do what?

ABE A slave race. Think about it, they are huge, hardy --

JAKE Surprisingly intelligent.

ABE Clearly resilient, to thrive in secret this long.

JAKE So why move on to humans?

ABE Because, man: humans are easier to control. They both make "whoa" type noises -- this blows Jake's mind.

JAKE Sasquatch is not an alien, though.

ABE No, no, he protects us from the aliens. He turned on them. So whenever they try to come back, Sasquatch shows up.

JAKE I don't know, man...

Abe clicks around on his laptop.

ABE Here. Try this one. You'll see. There's more to Bigfoot than meets the eye.

JAKE Alright.

Beedle-oop! Recording starts.

SHEILA Listen, uh, Abe. I was driving down Highway 224, just coming back from Estacada and uh...

JAKE Heavily wooded area.

ABE Shh! Listen.

SHEILA There's just something kind of...weird out there. So I was driving along, and it was getting dark, you know? And I see this elk. In the road. Just one bull elk, all by himself. And he's standing there just...staring at me. I flashed my lights, I honked the horn, but this thing just would. not. move.

JAKE I don't hear any Sasquatch.

ABE She's getting to it!

SHEILA And I think there was something up with it because it had this, well, I could swear it was blood. All around its mouth. On its teeth. Anyway, I thought maybe it was blinded, you know, by the headlights, so I shut them off, and that's when...it happened. I heard this...sound. Like a cry, or a call. Maybe a whistle? And this elk, he looks up, toward the sound. And he blinks, and he sniffs twice, and then he just...falls over. And I'm so surprised I just, I started to get out of the car, like, to see if it was okay? And then this...dark thing came. Not dark like, I mean, it was night, but darker than that. Like I've never seen anything so... But it was walking, I think. It came out of the woods, this huge, black...thing. And it bent down over the elk and then it...then it was just...gone. The elk, the thing, the...I blinked, and I was just standing on an empty road, headlights on, horn blaring. And since then I can't -- it's like I can't get it out of my head. Look, Abe, I know it sounds crazy, but I wasn't seeing things. It happened. There's something out there, and I just think maybe you should -- I don't know. I wanted you to know. Don't call me back.

Bleep-bloop. The recording ends. A beat.

ABE So?

JAKE Hm?

ABE Is that Bigfoot?

Jake seems confused, disoriented.

JAKE That, uh, you know, that one, uh, I don't think I got that.

ABE Like you don't know what it is, or...?

JAKE No, like, it didn't play.

ABE What? No, man, I played that whole thing.

JAKE (overlapping) Yeah, I don't, uh, I don't know. Maybe something's wrong with your computer.

ABE There's nothing wrong with the computer, Jake. You know I take care of my rig.

JAKE I don't know. I gotta get a drink.

ABE Oh, you have water right here --

JAKE I gotta get a drink.

Jake stands up and walks away.

ABE Uh...okay. Are we just gonna edit this part out, or...?

A brief pause. Abe's chair moves, he turns away from the mic toward Jake.

ABE Jake? Are you...

Suddenly, the laptop emits loud static. Then the sound of Rose laughing breaks in.

ABE What the -- ?

The static glitches and pops.

ABE How is this happening?

Abe clicks a few buttons. It shocks him.

ABE Ow!

ROSE Over here! I'm over heeere...

ABE Jake! You seeing this?

ROSE Hello? Hello? (more pops) It's okay. I'll see you soon.

Static and pops. Rose laughs again. The message ends.

ABE Dude...this is fucked.

Jake comes back from the kitchen.

JAKE Hey, sorry. Everything okay?

ABE This machine is supposed to be unhackable.

He furiously clicks and types.

JAKE Okay...?

ABE That message came from nowhere. It's not on my computer. There's no record of it.

JAKE So you still want to do the show, or...?

ABE Jake, you don't understand. This is not possible. Someone is using tech that just -- doesn't exist.

JAKE Well, so, we didn't really get to talk about Gigantopithecus.

ABE And it sounded like that girl, Rose. Don't you think? But she doesn't have access to this kind of tech.

JAKE So Gigantopithecus is an ancient species of primate.

ABE Jake, are you listening to me, man? This is serious.

JAKE Yeah, I'm telling you. This thing -- let's just call him "Giganto," it's easier -- it was the largest primate that ever lived, at least according to current fossil records.

ABE Dude, I've...I've gotta go. You should disconnect your wi-fi.

Abe grabs his stuff and leaves. Sound of door opening and closing. Jake continues like nothing's happened.

JAKE Giganto was ten feet tall, and likely weighed over a thousand pounds. Now, there have been plenty of species that people thought were extinct, and then they found them out there in the world. They're called "Lazarus species," because they came back from the dead. Now, what about our friend Giganto? Could he be a Lazarus? The evidence is pretty compelling. For example, Abe, if you look at the fossilized foot samples from...

Jake looks around. He's slowly coming back to himself.

JAKE Oh, that's right. Abe had to go. Well, this has been a fantastic episode of SQUATCH TALK! I don't think I need to do any edits. The next episode should be out in just a couple of days. But if you want to see the evidence -- and maybe even a live Sasquatch in the flesh -- then you'll need to join me for a SQUATCH WALK! Just head on out to Charity, Oregon, and follow the signs from the town hall. Someone took them down a bit ago, but I'll put them back up. Oh -- this episode is sponsored by Dave's Hardware. At Dave's, you can get hammered and screwed! ...Wait, that doesn't sound right. Anyway, shoot me a message with your Bigfoot questions and stories. Maybe you can find yourself featured on SQUATCH TALK! Until next time, everybody.

The "'Squatch Talk" theme song plays as we fade out to...

INT. JAKE'S HOUSE - LATER

Bleep-Blip! The friendly stopping sound on Jake's podcast app indicates the recording is over. Jake turns excitedly to DR SIMMONS, who is less enthusiastic.

JAKE So what did you think?

DR SIMMONS I really just came by to speak with Lara Campbell. Is she here?

JAKE Oh. No.

DR SIMMONS Well, there's a half an hour of my life I'll never get back...

END OF EPISODE.

OUTRO

Thank you for listening to Believer. I’ve got a bit of a bad news, good news situation for you today, listeners. The bad news is that we’ve reached the end of the audio we were able to record as a cast before COVID-19 shut down the recording studios in Los Angeles. With the outbreak continuing and protests filling the streets, I can’t say for sure when we’ll be able to get back together again. So this is a long way of saying that the main storyline of BELIEVER is now on hiatus. But there is some good news! We've got prequel and spin-off episodes planned that make use of some of the remote recording possibilities that we have. I've also got lots of plans to revamp the show in the meantime. When we come back, we’ll have better audio, a consistent release schedule, and lots of cool ways to interact with the show. As always, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @believerpod for all the latest news. You can also email believerpod@gmail.com to get in touch. For full credits, transcripts, press kit, and other information, stop by the website at www.BelieverPodcast.com. If you enjoyed Squatch Talk, then you should really subscribe to King Falls AM, a fiction podcast about two guys running a radio show in a paranormal town. I swear I didn’t do this on purpose, but when I listened back to this episode I was like, “Oh, I made a King Falls episode in the Believer-verse.” So if you liked this, go to KingFallsAM.com or look them up in any podcasting app. Now, this feed's not going completely silent, because there's a lot going on. So over the next few weeks, you can expect mini episodes recommending other shows, opportunities for activism, and resources for coping with our collective life situation. We’ll have new Believer content soon, but in the meantime it’s important for us to help each other. Until then, remember: be safe. Wear a mask. Black lives matter. Trans women are women, trans men are men, and non-binary people are wonderful. And while you're at it, just try to get a good night’s sleep. You encounter far fewer ghosts when you’re well-rested. Bye now.

TRANSCRIPT: 1.04 - The Voice of God

 A PDF version of this transcript is available here.

INT. LARA'S CABIN - NIGHT

Crickets. Night sounds.

Fade in on Lara humming to herself as she scribbles furiously on sheets of paper. Sodapop whines softly. As she shuffles paper, Lara begins to sing.

LARA: The sweet annihilation (she hums again) All will be nothing, and we will be all

The walls creak. Sodapop growls. Lara draws even more furiously.

LARA: The harder they fight us, the harder they'll fall / All will be nothing, and we will be all. / All will be nothing, and we will be --

She hears a distant, eery cry. She stops, listens until it finishes.

LARA Okay. Good night.

She slumps onto the floor, unconscious. Sodapop grumbles to himself.

TITLES

Theme music.

NARRATOR: Believer. Episode 4: "The Voice of God."

End theme music.

INT. LARA'S CABIN - DAY

The next morning. Sodapop yawns and stretches. Lara types at her laptop.

LARA: Hey, Sodapop! About time you got up, buddy. (sighs) I've gotta remember not to look at those drawings Rose made before I go to bed. I had the weirdest dream. (beat) I don't remember printing them out, either...I guess it's not a terrible idea.

Sodapop makes a little irritated 'woof' noise.

LARA: Yeah. I gotta get more sleep. Anyway. (hits a button) Let's see what ol' Reverend Mitchell has to say.

Blip-bloop! The voice of MITCHELL BOONE, strong and confident, comes through the laptop speakers.

MITCHELL: Now, there aren't many of you seated in the pews these days. But that is the price of telling the truth. For I have heard the call of God, as you have, and I know, as you do, the signs of His coming.

LARA: Sounds pretty conventional to me.

The sound shifts so that we can hear Mitchell more clearly.

MITCHELL: In Revelations, chapter six: "Then I saw the Lamb open one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures call out, as with a voice of thunder, 'Come!'" And he saw four riders, on four horses. First, the rider on the white horse: Conquest. Man's attempt to control that which he cannot. We will grab at our minds ever tighter as they sift through our fingers. Then the red horse: War. Turning prey to predators so that all may have the chance to eat and be eaten. Then the black horse, representing famine, the choking vegetation. Starving root and bleaching soil. We have seen these. We will see these. But the last, on the pale horse. They call him death. But he is so much more. He is ending. He is silence. You will not see him coming. For you cannot see absence, loss, nothing. But you can feel it, can't you? The emptiness in your chest, yearning to join the void. That is what is coming. That is what we seek.

Bloop-blip. A beat.

LARA: Okay, yeah, I can see why that's not on the radio. But if they stopped airing his sermons, then why...

Blip-bloop! Next sermon.

MITCHELL: And when we meet that creeping annihilation, the void, the nothingness, we shall greet it as an old friend. For we are one. We are nothing. We are all.

A crowd chants behind him.

CROWD All is nothing! We are all! All is nothing! We are all!

MITCHELL (overlapping) The Earth shall be a sea of glass: nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing --

Bloop-blip. Lara groans.

LARA: Oh, god. Is there any small town that doesn't have a secretive underground cult? I mean, come on.

She types a bit on the keyboard.

LARA: Nothing online, but that's to be expected.

Lara sighs.

LARA: Okay, so, Rose's dad started a -- well, technically it's a "new religious movement." It's possible Rose was involved, but I doubt it. I mean, she's into paranormal stuff, but she'd never get into something like this.

She clicks. Blip-bloop! Another recording plays.

MITCHELL: "Lo, how a Rose e'er blooming from tender stem hath sprung." Do you know the hymn? "To show God's love aright, she bore to men a Savior, when half-spent was the night."

He takes a moment to catch his breath.

MITCHELL: And she will. She will bear to us this savior, this darkness. For she hears it. She hears it better than I ever have. And she carries it with her. The darkness. The nothing. Look -- look to my Rose in the scorched, packed earth. The sea of glass. She sees -- she sees --

Bloop-blip.

LARA: Ah. Never mind then.

Sodapop whines.

LARA Yeah, let's take you out. But then I've gotta look into this. Honestly, Sodapop, if this dumb cult took Rose, I am going to be so annoyed.

Sodapop scampers out the door ahead of her.

INT. LARA'S INBOX

VOICEMAIL: You have one unheard message. First message.

DR SIMMONS: Hello, this is Doctor Penelope Simmons, leaving yet another message for --

The sound glitches out into loud static.

ROSE: Laraaa...Laraa...

Odd distortion breaks in.

ROSE: Nothing's here.

The sound cuts back into static and then we're back to --

DR SIMMONS: Call me back, Ms. Campbell. Please.

BEEP.

EXT. MAIN STREET - DAY

Lara walks along the street. Sheriff Tate gets out of his car, approaches her.

SHERIFF TATE Miss Campbell! Still in town, I see.

LARA Sheriff Tate. You spend a lot of time in Charity?

SHERIFF TATE I'm responsible for the whole county, but I admit, I've got a soft spot for Charity.

LARA It is cute.

SHERIFF TATE It's wonderful. Anything I can help you find today?

LARA I'm actually looking for the church.

SHERIFF TATE Oh, well there's a brand new Presbyterian congregation on the end of Main Street.

LARA No, um, Reverend Boone's old church.

SHERIFF TATE I don't think that's a good idea.

LARA Nobody else has moved in there since he got sick and suspended services, right?

SHERIFF TATE Well, it's -- closed down. Locked. It'd be breaking and entering.

LARA I won't go inside. I just want to see something.

SHERIFF TATE Look, uh, I know you get your messaged from the Beyond and all...

LARA We should make an appointment to talk about your great-aunt, by the way.

SHERIFF TATE She's still talking to you?

LARA I think we could have a very promising conversation.

SHERIFF TATE Well, that's...interesting. But in the meantime, I need you to stay away from the Boone family.

LARA You can't believe everything Mayor Terri says about me, Sheriff. I'm not actually the Devil.

SHERIFF TATE No, it's...it's not safe.

LARA What's not safe?

SHERIFF TATE Just listen to me, Miss Campbell. We're not to the point of an official order here, and I know Rose meant a lot to you. But you really need to let this one go.

LARA I'm not gonna do that, Sheriff. Something is going on -- something is wrong in Charity. You've got to see that.

SHERIFF TATE Rose Boone is just fine. You'll see.

LARA I hope so.

SHERIFF TATE Well, I gotta get to another call. You stay out of that church, you understand?

LARA Yes, sir.

SHERIFF TATE And I suggest you head out of town as soon as you find what you're looking for.

LARA That's the plan.

SHERIFF TATE Good. Stay safe, Miss Campbell.

LARA I will.

He walks away, gets back in his car. Lara watches him go.

INT. INBOX

VOICEMAIL First skipped message.

MITCHELL Abe. I know you stopped airing my sermons. But you see, don't you? I have to share them. You have to...you have to hear it. We have to give ourselves. It wants us quiet and resigned. It wants us as...gifts...please...Abe...

He breaks off into a fit of coughing.

VOICEMAIL End of messages.

INT. CHURCH - CHAPEL - LATER

A window pane slides open with effort, and Lara squeezes through.

LARA Okay, if I can just -- ah!

She falls onto the floor. She gets up, wipes her hands on her clothes.

LARA See? Didn't have to break in. The window was open.

She takes out her phone. Blip-bloop! She starts recording.

LARA Okay. I'm in the old Church of the Seventh Seal in Charity. It's -- very dusty. Hasn't Mitchell only been sick for a month or so? This place looks like it's been closed for years.

She walks around, looking at things.

LARA It's small. Simple. Some pews, a podium up front, just the basics. No stained glass windows. No cross either. Honestly, the only thing you could call decoration is these lines in the woodwork. They're carved into the walls and along the center aisle, just these straight lines that kind of outline the room and then meet above the podium. It's a geometric shape, kind of like a star. Like I said, simple, but I guess it's something.

She walks across the floor.

LARA The pews have those book-holders, but there's nothing in them. So if this used to be a Christian church, someone chose to take out all the hymnals.

Up a few little steps.

LARA There's a little organ up front, no other seating, just the podium. A little lectern with...something on it. Under a very thick layer of dust. Let me see.

She wipes at the lectern, blows on it. Dust flies up. She begins to cough violently.

LARA Oh my god!

She coughs some more. The recording ends. Bloop-blip. She picks up a single piece of paper. She shakes it to get the dust off.

LARA Well, at least I have a generic lunar calendar now! That was worth coating the inside of my lungs.

She coughs, clears her throat.

LARA Alright...oh! Let's see what's over here.

She crosses the floor to a closed bifold door. She pushes as it slides open. She steps into --

INT. CHURCH - OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

A small, carpeted office.

LARA Now this should be interesting.

She pulls out her phone. Blip-bloop!

LARA Looks like I found Reverend Boone's office. It's ridiculously cluttered, but I've got time, so --

An alert from the phone.

LARA 10% battery? God damn it. Fine, I'll just take pictures.

Bloop-blip. Recording off. She moves around the room shuffling papers as her phone camera makes shutter sounds.

LARA Okay...printed sermons...some increasingly erratic personal notes, I'll make sure I get those...is this a drawing? It spans a couple of pages...

From the other room, we hear organ music. Lara stops. The music continues. Now the quiet hum of people talking. Lots of people.

LARA Is -- is someone there?

Lara slowly approaches the door. From the other room, Rose's voice.

ROSE You can't find me...

LARA Rose?

ROSE You can't see me...

She races back through the door to the chapel --

INT. CHURCH - CHAPEL

Which is silent. She looks around.

LARA Hello?

A cassette player clicks on.

MITCHELL (RECORDING) Oh the ecstasy of nothingness. For when we exist, we suffer. Don't we?

The organ music returns. Lara jumps.

LARA Ah!

MITCHELL (CONT'D) But It is here to help us. It -- it will take us. And she will lead us there.

The player clicks off. Lara stumbles away, tripping down the steps from the front lectern. She sprawls, looks up.

LARA The lines. Over the altar. They're twisting...like...

She hears voices talking again. The high-pitched scream from the meteor shower begins. It's distorted, long, echoing around the room. The voices fade into a chant.

VOICES All is nothing, and we are all. All is nothing, and we are all. All is nothing, and we are all.

LARA (overlapping) Oh no. No. No no no no.

She breathes hard, scrambles to her feet. Lara reels around, lost, confused, hearing sounds.

LARA How do I...how is this...

The cacophany fades down. A beat.

LARA Camille?

CAMILLE Hi, Lara.

LARA Are you...are you real? Are you here?

CAMILLE I'm here, Lara.

She walks toward Lara. The sound continues to fade away as Camille gets closer.

LARA Oh, thank god. I don't know if I accidentally ate something or...mmph!

Camille shoves a rag over Lara's mouth and nose, muffling her voice.

CAMILLE Shhh, shhh...just breathe. Nice and deep.

LARA (muffled) But...why...ughhhh...

Lara collapses.

CAMILLE There you go.

Camille stands over her a moment.

CAMILLE That's right, Lara. You just sleep now. Everything's going to be okay.

Camille hums the melody to "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming."

END OF EPISODE

NARRATOR: Thank you so much for listening to Believer. You've been so wonderful sticking with us through these schedule disruptions, and to reward you for that I'm going to announce a bunch of cool new stuff...at the end of next episode. So make sure you stay subscribed. Today, I want to tell you about a really cool podcast that just came out. Crypto-Z is an immersive sci-fi audiodrama that just debuted on May 8th. It's about a pair of scientist-explorers who climb the Alps in search of an Ice-Man, who they hope holds the key to restoring life on the planet. I'm a giant sucker for frozen isolation horror and crypto-humans, and the first episode definitely delivers, so be sure to check it out. You can find it on Apple Podcasts or go to www.euphonie.media. This episode was sponsored by Saunders & Associates LLC, providing medical insurance consulting in the beautiful state of Oregon and beyond. See you again soon. In the meantime, if you find yourself staring into a mirror and suddenly you don't recognize what you see -- your eyes begin to slip down your face, and your lips curl in a way that shouldn't be possible, and soon all you can see is this distorted, nightmare-version of your face, shifting and changing even though you know you're not moving a muscle -- Look away for a moment and focus on another point in the room. The neurons you use to sense motion sometimes go into overdrive when you look at a static image for too long. But maybe don't touch that mirror. Just to be safe. Bye now.

TRANSCRIPT: 1.03 - The Night the Sky Fell

A PDF of this transcript is available here.

EXT. THE COTTAGE - DAY

Birds sing. Trees sway.

At low volume, static-laced chaos and screaming plays on a short loop from a cell phone, a few seconds long, repeating over and over again.

Sodapop licks Lara's face.

She grumbles, stirs.

LARA

Okay, okay, let me just...

The phone sound stops.

Then a beat.

And she realizes where she is.

LARA

Uh, why am I outside?

JAKE

Morning!

LARA

Gah!

She scrambles away.

LARA

Jesus, Jake!

Jake laughs.

Sodapop barks, pants, and runs off after something.

JAKE

Rough night?

LARA

I guess? For the record, I was indoors when I fell asleep.

JAKE

(chuckles)

Sure.

LARA

Guess I figured out how to unlock Rose's phone at some point.

JAKE

Is that what that is?

Lara gets up. She dusts herself off.

LARA

Where have you been, by the way?

JAKE

You're just lucky it didn't rain for once.

LARA

Yeah. Seriously, though, where were you?

JAKE

Well, I'd better leave you to it.

LARA

I walked into that spot in the woods -- which was freaky, by the way -- and when I came back out --

JAKE

Okay, sounds good. You have a good day, Lara.

LARA

What?

JAKE

Coffee on the counter!

Sound of a truck door opening and closing as he gets in.

LARA

Wait --

The engine starts up.

LARA

Jake!

The truck drives away.

Sodapop barks again as it goes.

LARA

You said it, Pops...come on, let's check out this phone.

Sodapop pants happily.

INT. THE COTTAGE - DAY

Lara sits in the chair.

LARA (V.O.)

Sleepwalking. Vivid nightmares. Unexpected fatigue. All common side effects of emotional stress.

Not that I'm -- I mean, I was worried about my...friend. That can provoke some sleep disruption. That's all.

Anyway. That phone. There was surprisingly little on there. A couple selfies, some random pictures of trees. I guess she was going for a lot of walks in the forest.

And then there were...the videos.

Sound of phone screen locking and unlocking.

LARA

Well, looks like I turned off the password protection somehow, so that's something.

NARRATION

Cross-fade to narration -- we'll drop in on real-time Lara in a moment.

LARA (V.O.)

Before I get to that...have you ever heard of Tunguska?

LARA (V.O.)

In 1908, a mysterious explosion flattened approximately 2,000 square kilometers of forest in Eastern Russia. There have been over a thousand scholarly articles about it in the years since, but not because there's a lot of disagreement about what happened.

Music

LARA (V.O.)

Witnesses reported lights in the sky, typically a single column of blue light, brighter than the Sun. One witness described it like this:

“The sky was cloudless, only a small dark cloud was observed in the general direction of the bright body. It was hot and dry. As the body neared the ground (forest), the bright body seemed to smudge, and then turned into a giant billow of black smoke, and a loud knocking (not thunder) was heard as if large stones were falling, or artillery was fired.”

Distant explosion, dangerous sounds.

LARA (V.O.)

It knocked down 80 million trees in an instant and caused an approximately 5.0 earthquake.

Rumbles, terrified animal sounds.

LARA (V.O.)

It's called an air burst. It happens when a meteorite breaks up in the atmosphere, but gets close enough to the ground before that happens that the energy from its fall still slams into the Earth. An impact without an impact.

Woooosh!

LARA (V.O.)

This one hit with a force 1,000 times stronger than the atomic bomb the US dropped on Hiroshima.

Flames, terror.

LARA (V.O.)

Air bursts like this routinely occur. This one was just unusually close the ground.

Music. A beat.

LARA (V.O.)

I say all this so you know that, well, what happened in the woods above Charity was...not without precedent.

INT. THE COTTAGE

LARA

(sighs)

Alright, let's see what's on this thing...

She taps a video on the phone:

EXT. WOODS - NIGHT (PHONE VIDEO)

The video clicks on. Sound of feet walking on twigs, wind blowing. Rose carries the camera, two YOUNG MEN are further away.

ROSE

Okay, we're heading up Goat Mountain. You guys excited?

YOUNG MEN cheer.

ROSE

We should hit the clearing in about a half mile.

EVAN

Dude, this better be an amazing meteor shower.

TIM

We've been walking forever!

ROSE

You'll see. You'll see...

The video ends.

INT. THE COTTAGE

LARA

Hmm.

LARA (V.O.)

It was strange seeing her like that again. Hopeful. Happy. She had me blocked on social media, so -- you know how something can feel familiar and far away at the same time?

Of course, it kind of got more far away from there.

Blip! Lara clicks another file.

EXT. WOODS - NIGHT (PHONE VIDEO)

Another video starts. The wind blows, then suddenly stops.

EVAN

Whoa. The wind just...stopped.

ROSE

I told you.

TIM

Yo, where are we? I hike up here all the time and I've never seen this cabin.

ROSE

The view is best on the roof.

EVAN

What, we just climb up?

TIM

So is this your dad's or...?

ROSE

You should climb up there.

EVAN

Yeah, right? Yolo.

TIM

Dude, nobody says "yolo" anymore.

EVAN

Yoloooo!

Tim sighs.

TIM

You coming?

ROSE

I'm right behind you.

They climb up, voices getting further away. Rose mutters to herself.

ROSE

"When he opened the sixth seal, I looked..."

Rumble. Far away, the boys freak out.

EVAN

Whoa! Look at that!

TIM

They're -- they're not gonna hit us, are they?

EVAN

Stupid, they burn up in the atmosphere.

Rose, very close to the microphone, speaking softly.

ROSE

"and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree drops its fruit..."

The rumble grows LOUDER. The boys scream. Rose laughs.

TIM

Oh my god!

EVAN

Rose, get up here! This is crazy!

TIM

Stay down there -- I think something's going to --

Another rumble. The boys yell, unintelligible.

The audio swings away as Rose starts to yell.

ROSE

"Fall on us! And hide us from the face of the one seated on the throne -- "

The video cuts out.

INT. THE COTTAGE

Lara breathes hard, frightened.

LARA

What...? That's not...

She plays part of the video again. She stops it.

Sodapop gives a little grumble.

LARA

You said it, bud. I mean, what do I do with this? What is this?

Sodapop whines.

LARA

It's okay. It's okay. One more video.

Lara takes a breath.

Bllip! She hits the last video.

EXT. WOODS - NIGHT (PHONE VIDEO)

It's the looped video from the beginning: short, chaotic, screaming, and then suddenly -- silence.

Rose hums over it all, soft and contented.

INT. THE COTTAGE

Lara takes a beat.

LARA

Okay, so that was...interesting.

INT. LARA'S INBOX

Message from Terri Boone.

TERRI

This is Mayor Boone. I don't know what you're still doing in this town, Lara, but you'd better stay away from me, my husband, and especially my daughter. I saw you at my house last night.

EXT. LOFTY DINER - LATER

Street sounds.

LARA

Hey, Camille, sorry for missing you earlier. My phone is being really weird.

CAMILLE

Yeah, no problem. Just -- let's get away from the diner, okay?

LARA

Yeah. We can go this way.

A car passes. They walk.

CAMILLE

So when can I meet your dog?

LARA

I can't get him to leave Rose's sweater.

CAMILLE

Oh, that's...

LARA

Concerning?

CAMILLE

Weird, I was gonna say.

LARA

That too. I mean, it makes some sense. He was Rose's dog, really. I mean, he was our dog, but he was her baby.

CAMILLE

Yeah. So, you and Rose were, like, together?

LARA

Sorry, I thought you knew. Figured Mayor Boone would've warned everyone about the woman who stole her daughter and sent her back crazy.

CAMILLE

No, she didn't say.

LARA

Well, that's something then.

CAMILLE

So are you...?

LARA

What?

CAMILLE

Nothing.

They stop walking at their familiar alcove. Street noises quiet.

LARA

So Jake said you had something for me?

CAMILLE

Oh, yeah. Here. It's a USB thingy I got from Abe.

LARA

Who?

CAMILLE

Abe Ramirez. He runs the radio station?

LARA

Okay.

CAMILLE

Well, you know Rose's dad, the Reverend? He used to have this radio show, every Sunday, where they'd play his sermons.

LARA

Sure.

CAMILLE

Well, a couple months ago they had to cancel the show because they got some complaints.

LARA

About what?

CAMILLE

Uh, well, it got pretty...unconventional. The preaching. But, see, he recorded a bunch of additional sermons before and after the cancellation. He kept sending them to Abe, even after Abe told him he could stop.

LARA

And Abe just kept them?

CAMILLE

Yeah. He was, um...well, it seemed safer that way.

LARA

And you think there's something in there that will help me find Rose?

CAMILLE

I think you should hear them, yeah.

LARA

Do you think Reverend Boone had something to do with Rose's disappearance?

CAMILLE

No, no, he wouldn't...

LARA

Because he's the one who called me. To come here.

This strikes Camille as odd -- maybe even significant.

CAMILLE

He -- he called you. Himself?

LARA

Yeah. It's the last message I got before my phone wigged out.

CAMILLE

Huh.

LARA

Anything helps, though. I'll take what I can get at this point.

CAMILLE

Yeah, I'll keep digging. Oh, by the way.

LARA

Yeah?

CAMILLE

Last night -- were you looking for me, or my mom, or...?

LARA

Last night?

CAMILLE

Yeah. When you were outside my house?

LARA

What? No, I wasn't.

CAMILLE

Yeah, I saw you. Like 2, 3 in the morning. You walked up the street, and then you just kind of...stood there. Staring. I thought maybe you were looking for me, but I don't remember telling you where I live.

LARA

You didn't. Where was this?

CAMILLE

Oh, I live above my mom's medical practice. Doctor Penelope Simmons? That's my mom. She said she called you, but like, the office isn't open at night.

LARA

Camille, I didn't go anywhere last night.

CAMILLE

No, it was definitely you. You walked up the street, you stared at the building for a while, and then you just, like, walked off.

LARA

That doesn't make any sense.

CAMILLE

I don't know, maybe you were astral projecting or something. Is that a thing you do?

LARA

I don't think so.

CAMILLE

Maybe it was a trance. Did you have a vision? Do you remember what you dreamed last night?

LARA

No, I -- I haven't had any messages from the spirits. Look, I need to go. Is this all you had for me?

CAMILLE

Yeah, sorry. I'll see if I can find more --

LARA

No, no, this is great. Thank you. Really. I've just...I have a lot to think about.

CAMILLE

Sure.

LARA

Thanks.

Lara hurries off. Street sounds fade.

INT. LARA'S INBOX

Message from Dr Simmons.

DR. SIMMONS

Hello, Ms. Campbell, this is another message from Doctor Penelope Simmons, General Practitioner in the town of Charity, Oregon --

CAMILLE

Mom.

DR. SIMMONS

Camille. Did you see her?

CAMILLE

Yeah.

DR. SIMMONS

What did she say?

CAMILLE

She doesn't remember it. I don't think she was trying to see you.

DR. SIMMONS

Well, she needs to see me, Camille. She needs to be examined.

CAMILLE

I know.

DR. SIMMONS

She could be the key to this whole thing, Camille. If we can understand why she hasn't been infected --

CAMILLE

I know.

DR. SIMMONS

So why haven't you done what I asked?

CAMILLE

I just...wait, are you on the phone?

DR. SIMMONS

Oh. Damn.

(into phone)

Call me back, Ms. Campbell. Soon.

She hangs up.

BEEP.

INT. THE COTTAGE

Lara jiggles the handle on the door. No dice. She jiggles it again.

Sodapop barks.

The door jiggles again, then Lara finally shoves it open.

LARA

Jesus! This door is becoming a...problem...

A beat. Sodapop whines happily.

LARA

Sodapop...did someone come in here while I was gone? Or did you decide to pull a bunch of stuff out of my bag for some reason?

Sodapop whines happily again, unhelpful.

LARA

Huh.

She walks around slowly, investigating.

LARA (V.O.)

Listen, I'm not one of those condescending pricks who thinks all belief in the supernatural is evidence of mental illness or stupidity or something.

She zips a bag, rummages around a little.

LARA

Well, it looks like everything's here...

LARA (V.O.)

I used to believe it too. I believed with everything I had. But Rose...it was different with Rose. For her it was...real.

LARA

Plus, you'd at least pretend to protect my stuff, right?

Sodapop pants, licks her face.

LARA

Yeah. Okay.

She moves a chair and sits at her desk. Typing on computer.

The video starts up again, this time playing from the computer speakers.

Rose, very close to the microphone, speaking softly.

ROSE

"and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree drops its fruit..."

The rumble grows LOUDER. The boys scream. Rose laughs.

TIM

Oh my god!

EVAN

Rose, get up here! This is crazy!

TIM

Stay down there -- I think something's going to --

BLEEP. Lara stops the video.

LARA (V.O.)

But this? This is new.

Double-click as she plays it again: The boys screaming, Rose laughing.

INTERVIEWER (V.O.)

So you think something changed?

LARA (V.O.)

I think something happened.

Click, double-click. Sound of Rose humming over chaos.

LARA (V.O.)

Because this? This video? This is not Rose. Not the Rose I know, anyway.

[ROSE/BROTHER MONOLOGUE GOES HERE]

The video suddenly pauses.

LARA

Wait.

Click. Double-click. The chaos again, with Rose's hum.

LARA

What is that?

Computer volume increases. Click. Double-click.

It plays again. In the background of all that jumble, an odd knocking sound.

LARA

Hold on...

She clicks again, opening another program. Keystrokes.

LARA (V.O.)

Something happened.

Sodapop whines, sounding worried.

LARA

Okay, so I just turn down some of the background noise, mute this section, and...

The clip plays again, with the audio edited. A loud knock-knock-knock sound. Followed by a distant cry.

LARA (V.O.)

And I guess part of me wonders...if it happened to me too.

She plays it again, sound tuned even more clearly. Knock-knock-knock. Cry. She stops it.

LARA

That's goddamn Sasquatch.

Sodapop grumbles.

OUT.

TRANSCRIPT: 1.02 - Dead Zone

A PDF version of this transcript is available here.

INT. LARA'S INBOX

Internal sound of a phone ringing.

Voicemail from DOCTOR PENELOPE SIMMONS (63). She is serious, clipped, no-nonsense.

The message is heavily distorted, with lots of electrical interference.

DOCTOR SIMMONS: Hello, this message is for Lara Campbell. This is Doctor Penelope Simmons, General Practitioner in the town of Charity, Oregon. I don't know your plans here in Charity, Ms. Campbell, but I must ask you not to go inside the Boone home. There appears to be some kind of contaminant related to --(static; the message breaks in and out) Symptoms including respiratory depression -- cinations, periods of catatonia -- (more static) Again, I must advise you to avoid the area as a matter of public health. Please contact me with any...

The message glitches out.

TITLES

NARRATOR: Believer. Episode 2. Dead Zone.

EXT. JAKE'S HOUSE / LARA'S COTTAGE - DAY

It's morning. A calm day -- wind moves gently in the trees, birds chirp. SODAPOP sniffs around merrily.

LARA and JAKE stand over a set of large footprints.

LARA: I don't think it's a footprint.

JAKE: Aw, come on. You've got the impression of a heel here, a slight incline where the arch would be -- that's a Sasquatch track.

LARA: It's an...impression. In the dirt.

JAKE: When this plaster cast comes up, you'll see. What do you say, 18, 18 and three-quarter inches? That's a full-grown one, right there. Probably an adult male. And what with the wood-knocking last night --

LARA: Whoa, whoa, wood-knocking?

JAKE: Sasquatch knock pieces of wood together to warn off outsiders and communicate with their clans. It's very well-documented. That is what you heard, right? Knocking?

FLASHBACK: The sound of knocking, thumping, and the wet squishy sound...

It breaks off, back to the present.

LARA: It was a dream.

JAKE: I guess we'll see. Ready to Squatch Walk?

LARA: Terrible name, by the way.

JAKE: But it pairs with my podcast, Squatch Talk.

LARA: Of course you have a podcast.

JAKE: Every Tuesday and Thursday! Well, that's the plan anyway. Just gotta find some guests. Okay, is the dog going to be alright, or..?

Sodapop whines.

LARA: He's fine. He hikes off-leash all the time. Pops -- Sodapop! Let's go, bud.

Sodapop runs around happily and pants.

JAKE: Well, keep an eye on him. Animals sometimes get spooked in Sasquatch territory.

LARA: Noted.

They walk into the grass and brush.

EXT. FOREST - MOMENTS LATER

They trudge along through the back country.

JAKE: Trail seems to lead this way. Which makes sense, because that's where I heard my first 'squatch. Now, if you look off this way, see those look like natural rock formations, but no no no, see...

His voice fades out as they walk. Lara's voiceover takes over -- played from a recording device.

LARA (V.O.): Knocking. Thumps in the night. It's so classic I'm surprised I even fell for it.

JAKE: Now, I want you to pay attention to these tree limbs, okay? Broken limbs represent a boundary, a kind of message to the others in the clan.

LARA: Uh-huh.

LARA (V.O.): In 1848, a family in Rochester, New York began to hear a mysterious "rapping" noise in the night. Bumps on the floor, knocks on the walls, without cause or explanation. The sounds were random at first, but two of the younger girls, Kate and Maggie, devised a way to communicate. Kate would snap her fingers, and the knocking sounds would reply.

Jake stops them.

JAKE: Wait. Shh. You hear that?

It's all just regular forest noises.

LARA: What am I hearing?

JAKE: Nah. False alarm. They're mostly nocturnal, but you never know.

They continue walking.

LARA (V.O.): Now the girls claimed that the knockings came from a spirit called Mr. Splitfoot -- which is a nickname for the Devil, naturally. But this ability caused a giant sensation. People came from miles around, and the girls demonstrated their abilities in homes and concert halls all across the northeastern United States. They gave guidance on investing, love affairs, even criminal investigations.
When the sisters communed with Mr. Splitfoot, people said they felt hands on their shoulders, spirits walking among them. They saw flashes, they felt a presence.

Jake approaches a tree.

JAKE: Here, here -- you see this?

A bug flies around.

JAKE: Look -- this tree. You see the way the limbs are all broken on just this side. And that one up there. That one too. See?

LARA: Uh-huh.

JAKE: Wayfinding. They use it to communicate with the rest of the clan.

LARA: They travel in clans.

JAKE: Oh, sure. They're social, just like other hominids.

LARA (V.O.): The Fox Sisters later confessed thaat this knocking sound? They were just popping their joints. Toes, mostly, but ankles and knees too. These girls could pop their toes so loud that entire auditoriums of people heard it. And when the people heard the popping, they imagined spirits touching them.

JAKE: There. See the bent branches over there? He went this way.

They continue through the forest.

LARA: What do you think it sounds like when Bigfoot pops his toes?

JAKE: What?

LARA: He's got big feet, right? Probably some big toe knuckles on there.

JAKE: You think a Sasquatch was popping its knuckles last night?

LARA: Well, it's possible, right?

JAKE: Well, yeah...I guess...

LARA (V.O.): It didn't matter that it was fake, though. It started a movement. Spiritualism. Ouija boards? Seances? Most of what I do? It all goes back to a couple of girls with really creaky toes. And if you know all that history, right, it's foundational to what you do and why you do it, what do you think your nightmares will be about? Of course, it was gonna be knocking.

Jake stops suddenly.

Beside them, Sodapop stops too. He seems deeply interested in something.

LARA: Jake? What is it?

JAKE: I, um...I don't think we should go this way.

LARA: Okay, well, I think I see some more bent branches up that way. To be honest, I see them everywhere. It's almost like they're naturally occurring.

Distant droning and creepy sounds move in.

JAKE: Go back.

LARA: What?

JAKE: You need to go.

LARA: Jake, I'm sorry if I seemed --

JAKE: No. Let's go.

LARA: Okay, uh, Pops --

Sodapop suddenly growls and crashes off into the bushes, chasing something.

LARA: Pops? Sodapop! Get back here!

She steps after him. Jake stops her.

JAKE: Lara, don't.

LARA: Come on, I just --

JAKE: It's a bad place, Lara.

Rustling sound.

LARA: Jake, I'm gonna need you to let go of me. (beat) Thank you. Now I'm going to get my dog.

JAKE: I wouldn't.

LARA: So don't.

Lara crashes into the bushes and trees.

EXT. DEAD ZONE - CONTINUOUS

She stops. Everything has gone silent. No trees. No birds. Nothing. Just a distant drone to tell us this is creepy.

Lara takes a step forward.

LARA: What the...?

She looks around. It's eerily quiet.

LARA: Soda? Sodapop?

Lara takes a few nervous steps forward over the sandy ground.

LARA: Where you at, buddy? You checking out those deer...carcasses...? Jesus, that's a lot of dead deer.

She pivots, looks around.

LARA: And trees.

LARA (V.O.): A neat circle of dead...things. Trees, bushes, animals. Birds looked like they'd fallen out of the sky. Even the dirt felt dry and lifeless.

Lara pulls out her phone. Shutter sounds as she takes photos.

LARA: What could do this? I mean, elk don't do graveyards, they're not elephants, it's...

LARA (V.O.): The weird thing -- and I didn't reaally think about this until later -- but there weren't even any bugs. No flies, no worms, nothing. But the deer were still decayed like normal? I don't know. You expect flies, you know? It just made the whole thing seem really, really quiet.

LARA: Pops? Sodapop! Oh, thank god.

Sodapop whines.

LARA: What'd you find, buddy?

She reaches toward him. Sodapop growls.

LARA: Hey, hey, it's just a...sweater...let me see that, bud.

She takes the sweater. Sodapop whines and jumps for it -- he wants it back.

LARA (V.O.): Strawberry University. A dumb joke sweater I got for Rose in Portland one time. She said she threw it out before we even broke up.

LARA: Is this why you ran off, Pops? You could...smell her?

LARA (V.O.): She said it in one of those dumb fights. The bad ones, toward the end. I guess she just wanted to hurt me.

She calls back to Jake.

LARA: Jake? Jake! I found something!

LARA (V.O.): She kept it, though. So that's something.

She waits. No answer.

LARA: What do you think, Bud? Is there a trail? Do that, you know, tracking thing.

Sodapop whines and scratches.

LARA: Well, I'm not staying here with all the bad meat. Come on, buddy, let's head back and regroup.

Sodapop whines.

LARA: No, you can have the sweater when we get home.

She walks away. Sound of heavy footsteps. She turns, gasps.

LARA: Someone there?

The sound stops. Sodapop keeps whining.

LARA: I'm really starting to hate this place.

She walks off.

INT. LARA'S INBOX

COMPUTER VOICE: First unheard message.

A young man, probably stoned.

PETER: Hey, uh, is this Lara Campbell? I can't find my keys, and like, I don't know if you do any work with poltergeists, but there is this...Oh. Hang on, they were just in my jeans. Never mind.

BEEP.

EXT. JAKE'S HOUSE / LARA'S COTTAGE - DAY

Lara and Sodapop crash out of the bushes.

LARA: Finally! Jesus.

She stops to catch her breath.

Sodapop groans.

LARA: (calls out) Jake? (beat) Jake? Are you here? It was great finding a way back without you, by the way.

She walks up to his house. The door opens with a creak.

LARA: Jake?

She waits a second, then sighs and shuts the door.

LARA: Come on, buddy, let's get back to the cottage. I'll make some calls or something.

Sodapop gives an inquiring whine.

LARA: Yes, you can have the sweater.

They walk across the gravel toward the cabin.

INT. LOFTY DINER - LATER

There's a low hum of conversation from other patrons. Silverware moves against plates, etc.

The bell over the door dings as Lara enters. CAMILLE (late 20s) approaches, cheerful.

CAMILLE: Welcome to the Lofty Diner. You want a booth or a table?

LARA: I'm actually just looking for Sheriff Tate. Dispatch said he was here?

CAMILLE: Oh, he is, but he's actually in a meeting with --

LARA: (bright, fake) Mayor Terri Boone? Is that you?

TERRI sits at a table with SHERIFF TATE (65), a jovial man with a folksy, avuncular approach to justice.

TERRI: Lara? What are you doing here?

LARA: I should've known I'd see you here. Among all your constituents.

Terri pauses. She makes a quick calculation. And she also switches to a bright, cheery tone...with an edge beneath it.

TERRI: You know me. Just chatting with the Sheriff, here.

SHERIFF TATE: Howdy. Sheriff Tate.

TERRI: Camille, why don't you see if you can find Lara a nice seat at the counter?

LARA: Oh, I actually have business with the two of you, if you don't mind.

CAMILLE: Is that alright with you, Mayor Boone?

TERRI: Honey, I keep telling you to call me Terri.

CAMILLE: Right, sorry.

SHERIFF TATE: Of course, we'll just pull up another chair for you here. I'm always happy to hear a citizen's report.

The chair scrapes as Camille pulls it across the floor.

CAMILLE: Okay, well, I'll just come back for the, um -- I'll check in on you.

LARA: Thanks.

She retreats.

SHERIFF TATE: Now, what can I help you with?

TERRI: I'm surprised to see you out and about, dear. I thought I was clear.

SHERIFF TATE: What's that now? Everything okay?

LARA: I just have a little history with Mayor Terri's daughter, Rose.

SHERIFF TATE: Oh...oh, you're Lara Campbell.

LARA: Have you been talking about me Mayor Boone? How flattering.

SHERIFF TATE: Well, she just mentioned a few things.

TERRI: Yes, so I wouldn't say there's much the two of you need to talk about. If you could just --

LARA: I found Rose's sweater.

This brings both of them to a stop. Silence for a short beat.

LARA: In the woods above Jake Talbott's house. I can take you right to it. Well, not right to it, but you know, I can find it again.

Another beat.

LARA: Come on. She must've passed through there on her way to -- wherever she went. It's a lead. She's a missing person, right? So if we just head back up there...

SHERIFF TATE: Rose Boone is not a missing person, Miss Campbell.

LARA: She's been gone for two weeks.

TERRI: She's fine.

SHERIFF TATE: And her mother says she's camping. Listen, Miss Campbell, I don't know when you were last in contact with Rose, but...this isn't so unusual with her.

LARA: Clearly it is, or else why would Mitchell --

TERRI: Mitchell suffers from a severe respiratory disorder. I don't see how he could've called you, Lara.

LARA: Do you want to hear the message? I've been having some issues with my voicemail, but I'm sure it's in there.

SHERIFF TATE: Miss Campbell. Believe it or not, we actually have things under control here in Wasco County. And we don't need people like you -- (off her reaction) N-no, no, no, not -- my niece is a lesbian, so I don't have a problem with that -- I just mean with your history of, of misrepresenting yourself, maybe you're not the right person to go around telling us what to do.

LARA: Misrepresenting myself? Why, Mayor Boone, what have you been saying about me?

TERRI: Nothing that isn't true.

SHERIFF TATE: The fake psychic business.

LARA: Fake?! You don't believe I'm really psychic?

Terri scoffs.

LARA: Oh...hold on...I'm feeling something.

TERRI: Lara.

Lara stands and addresses the room.

LARA: Someone here has unresolved business with someone on the other side. You've been thinking of them lately, unexpectedly. I'm getting maybe an...M? Or a D.

SHERIFF TATE: My great-aunt! Her name was Mary Dawson.

LARA: That's it! Oh, she has a message for you.

TERRI: Enough!

Terri slams the table. A collective awkward silence.

LARA: Hm. Nope. It's gone. Sorry, everyone.

Her chair slides as she sits again.

TERRI: What do you want?

LARA: I want you to investigate this. To care. Something.

SHERIFF TATE: Were there any signs of struggle around this sweatshirt you found?

LARA: Well, no, but there were a bunch of dead deer...

TERRI: That sounds like an issue for the Game Warden, wouldn't you say, Sheriff Tate?

SHERIFF TATE: Sure.

LARA: Come on, Sheriff --

SHERIFF TATE: Mayor Terri's got a point, Miss Campbell. From where I'm sitting, this doesn't seem to be a criminal matter at all.

LARA: But --

TERRI: Well, there you have it. And I think it's about time we both got back to work, wouldn't you say, Sheriff? I'll just go see the girl about the bill.

She stands.

TERRI: Camille, honey?

CAMILLE: Yes, Mayor Boone?

She walks off.

Sheriff Tate leans in confidentially.

SHERIFF TATE: Listen, about my aunt -- did she say anything in particular? Because there's a family rumor about some gold.

TERRI: Come on, Sheriff!

SHERIFF TATE: Well, we'll talk another time.

LARA: We definitely will.

Sheriff Tate gets up to leave.

EXT. LOFTY DINER - MOMENTS LATER

A quiet street. A few cars, some birds, etc.

The doorbell rings again as Lara marches out of the Diner. She takes a few steps down the sidewalk.

The door rings again and Camille races after her.

CAMILLE: Wait -- wait, don't go. It's Lara, right?

LARA: Love how everyone here already knows my name.

CAMILLE: Listen, I heard what you said in there. Not that I was eavesdropping, I just --

LARA: Okay, I don't think the spirits are going to give me any more information right now, so --

CAMILLE: No, I mean...are you really looking for Rose?

LARA: Oh. Yes.

CAMILLE: Oh, thank god. Look, I feel like I've been going insane. Everybody's acting like there's no big deal, and if you bring up Rose it's like...

LARA: Like what?

CAMILLE: Just -- come over here, will you? I don't want to be too close to the diner.

LARA: Fine.

They step aside, where sounds are more muted.

CAMILLE: When you mention Rose to any of those people, it's like, either they act like they can't hear you or they just kind of pat you on the head and tell you to calm down. It's bizarre.

LARA: Are they usually like that about, you know, town secrets?

CAMILLE: Up until now I didn't think we had any town secrets.

LARA: Hm.

CAMILLE: But if you're looking for Rose... (glances around) I want to help you.

LARA: That's great. Where do you think she is?

CAMILLE: Well...okay, so like a few weeks ago or, or maybe like a month, something happened.

LARA: What?

CAMILLE: Well I wasn't there, but some of the guys went to the woods to watch this meteor shower.

LARA: Okay...

CAMILLE: I guess Rose was there? Or, well, I'm not sure. I don't really know her. But the guys said...they said the sky fell down.

LARA: The sky fell down.

CAMILLE: I know, it's...and they seemed pretty freaked out, but they wouldn't say much about it. And then they got sick. Like, really sick.

LARA: Huh.

CAMILLE: And since then things are just...off. It's like whatever happened that night spooked the whole town.

LARA: And Rose has been missing since then?

CAMILLE: Not long after.

LARA: Listen was this -- you said this happened in the woods?

CAMILLE: Yeah.

LARA: Have you heard anything about a kind of a "dead zone" in the woods above Jake's place?

CAMILLE: Jake Talbott?

LARA: Yeah.

CAMILLE: A dead zone?

LARA: I found this area with no vegetation. No leaves, grass, anything. And dead animals, too. Birds. A bunch of deer.

CAMILLE: Gross.

LARA: Yeah.

CAMILLE: I mean, I haven't been out there for a while. Jake doesn't really like people messing with his Bigfoot stuff.

LARA: But that's the way they went for the meteor shower? Out past Jake's place?

CAMILLE: Probably. They would've wanted to get up that hill.

LARA: Do you know when exactly this was? Who was there? Anything?

CAMILLE: I think I can look it up for you. And I can give you the guys' phone numbers, but I don't know how much it'll help you.

LARA: Why not?

CAMILLE: Well, like I said, they're sick. Like they're in the hospital sick. All of them. Tim's mom says he opens his eyes sometimes, but they can't speak. Everyone who was there that night except Rose.

LARA: Rose didn't get sick.

CAMILLE: No, apparently she was fine.

LARA: That's...weird.

CAMILLE: Right?!

LARA: Hm.

CAMILLE: Yeah. Listen, I've gotta get back to work, but, you know, see if you can find Rose's phone. She does these little Insta videos all the time? Maybe there's something from that night.

LARA: Yeah, actually, I found it at her house.

CAMILLE: What? She's always on her phone. She wouldn't leave it.

LARA: Yeah.

CAMILLE: God, this whole thing is just awful. (beat) But you know she's okay? Like, can you sense her or...?

LARA: Hm? Yeah. She's out there. She's got to be.

CAMILLE: Because you're -- you're psychic, right? Have you tried, like, connecting with the spirits, or...?

LARA: I'm doing everything I can, Camille.

CAMILLE: Good. Okay, yeah, I really need to get back in there. You tell me if you need anything, okay?

LARA: Yeah, here. Take my card. If you think of anything at all, call me. And if you don't get through, just try again or text or something, okay? I haven't been getting my voicemails lately.

CAMILLE: Okay. Thanks, Lara. I'm just -- I'm so glad someone believes me.

LARA: We'll find her.

CAMILLE: I know we will.

INT. LARA'S INBOX

BEEP.

COMPUTER VOICE: First skipped message.

ROSE: Lara...Laaaaaraaaa...it's so beautiful...the face of God...

More static. A distant, high-pitched cry.

BEEP.

INT. LARA'S COTTAGE - NIGHT

Door creaks open and closed. Lara jiggles the handle.

LARA: Sodapop? Hey, Buddy. You feeling okay? You seem kind of...

Sodapop gives a low growl.

LARA: It's okay, I won't take your sweater. Her sweater. Your mom's -- you know.

She walks over to the desk and rummages through her things.

LARA: Still no Jake, huh? Well, let's see if I can find anything about elk graveyards online.

She types.

Wind blows. More knocking. Lara pauses, hearing it. She waits, but the sound stops.

LARA: Jake, is that you?

She types again. It knocks again. She stops. It stops.

LARA: Okay, what is going on?

No response. Thunder in the distance.

LARA: I must be exhausted. I'm hearing things...

She yawns.

LARA: Actually I'm really, really tired.

Thunder.

LARA: I think I'll just...shut my eyes for a...

She slumps onto the floor, asleep.

The knocking moves across the field of sound.

Sodapop whines softly.

ROSE: (whisper) It's okay. I'll see you soon.

Sodapop yawns.

FADE OUT.

OUTRO

"All More," by Lax Superlative fades in...

Thank you for listening to Believer. This week, let's raise some engagement. Leave us a review or a comment wherever you're listening right now. It's a little thing, but it really helps the show.

This episode was sponsored by Saunders & Associates, LLC. Providing medical insurance consulting in the beautiful state of Oregon and beyond.

TRANSCRIPT: 1.01 - Charity

A formatted PDF is available for download here.

INT. LARA'S INBOX

The voicemail box of Lara Campbell.

LARA You have reach Lara Campbell's Psychic Investigations. Please leave a message.

BEEP.

First message. ROSE BOONE. She's late 20s, vibrant, cagey, flighty. Lara's opposite, but also her equal.

ROSE Hi, um, Lara. This is Rose. Rose Boone? Yeah. Uh. Listen, I know it's -- been a while. But I really need to talk to you. Okay? I'm at my parents' house and there's something... Can you just call me? Please?

BEEP.

A middle-aged woman.

WOMAN Um, hi, my name is Deborah Lee. There have been some...things going on in my house that I can't quite explain.

BEEP.

Rose again. She sounds rattled, unsettled.

ROSE Hey. Lara. Me again. Thought I'd see if you got my other message. I just, um...God, this is awkward, I...I need you. Okay? I need you to hear it. Call me back. Please.

BEEP.

Deborah Lee again.

WOMAN We found this ouija board and things haven't really been the same since.

BEEP.

MITCHELL BOONE, 61, well-spoken, composed and confident, if a little worried-sounding here.

MITCHELL Hello, this is Reverend Mitchell Boone. I think you know my daughter, Rose? Well, I don't know how to say this, but Rose is missing, and I think you might know how to find her. Can you come to Charity right away? Please, we need you. Thanks. God bless.

TITLES

Music comes in.

JULIE (V.O.) Believer. Episode One: Charity.

Music ends.

INT. PETERSEN HOME - DAY

Lara sounds soft here, her voice smooth, soothing, almost meditative.

LARA Just one more time, please, Mrs. Petersen. Tell me what you saw. (off her hesitation) It's all right. Just take a deep breath.

Kathy takes a deep, nervous breath. She begins.

KATHY Um, well, it's happened a few times now. I wake up in my bed, usually around 2 or 3 in the morning, and I -- I see it. I see her.

LARA Who do you see?

KATHY A woman. She's glowing, indistinct. Dressed in a -- an old dress, with the high collars, you know? And there's blood. Dried blood. All over her neck.

LARA Does she speak to you?

KATHY No. No. She just...stares. With this look like...like she can see through me. And then I get this horrible feeling, like someone's sitting on my chest. Dread. And I can't move, I can't speak, I can't --

LARA It's okay, Mrs. Petersen. My protection charm is still in effect. She can't reach you here.

KATHY Are you sure, because I heard that you used to have a partner. Rose something?

LARA Uh -- she -- yes. I used to, um, but we're not, um -- it's fine.

KATHY She always seemed like such a sweet girl. Very in tune, they said.

LARA Um, yes, well, the spirits are with me now. I feel them all around us, Mrs. Petersen.

KATHY Kathy.

LARA Kathy. Of course. So after the floating woman looks at you, what happens?

KATHY She, um...she comes apart. Her neck, just, like a hinge.

LARA Her head comes off?

KATHY Yes. And then the rest of her just sort of unravels. Like when you pull a thread on a scarf or something. Except instead of thread it's just...nothing. Nothing inside her, disappearing into nothing, and -- except her eyes are still there, I can feel them just staring, like it's my fault, like there's something I need to --

She breaks off, emotional.

LARA Take a breath, Kathy.

KATHY What do I do? What does she want?

LARA I can feel her presence here. I believe I can commune with her, but I'll need you to step away for a moment while I make the connection.

KATHY Oh, you think I'm causing this?

LARA You're doing nothing wrong. Fear is understandable, but contagious, in a way. I'll just bring her out first, see if I can convince her to speak with you.

KATHY Oh. Okay. Sure.

LARA I want you to brew a pot of tea and take ten cleansing breaths.

KATHY Of course.

LARA Thank you.

Kathy leaves. Sound of door opening and closing.

Blip-bloop! Lara grabs her phone. The soothing meditation voice is gone. She's all business, dry, crisp, hurried.

LARA Look up "victorian woman images."

COMPUTER VOICE Here's what I found.

Sound of typing. Lara's narration breaks in.

LARA (V.O.) This is an old profession.

LARA I just need somebody who isn't famous.

LARA (V.O.) Not, you know, "the oldest profession." But there have always been people who see things, and people who tell everyone what that means.

Blip-bloop!

LARA Search "victorian woman stock photo blurry."

LARA (V.O.) They're just not always the same person.

LARA (under her breath) Just gotta get past the first page of search results...there we go. Okay, pop it into the app, and...there.

Just then, the door opens again and Kathy returns.

KATHY Can I -- is she here? Lara's psychic voice is back.

LARA Yes. She's quiet, but she's here. I know exactly what's going on.

LARA (V.O.) Hypnopompic hallucinations. You begin to wake up before you've finished your REM cycle, and so you see your dreams as if they're real life.

LARA You have a ghost.

KATHY I knew it.

LARA (V.O.) It's actually very common.

LARA Mrs. Petersen, this picture came to me. I've recreated it on my phone. Is this the woman you've seen?

Kathy inspects the photo. She gasps.

KATHY Yes! That's her! How --

LARA I thought so. This is Mildred Corrie. She lost her children in a typhoid epidemic 128 years ago.

KATHY Oh...oh no.

LARA (V.O.) Not a real person. Obviously.

LARA Yes. It was horrible in this area. She did her best to save her little boy, but...

KATHY That's awful.

LARA I sense you understand some of what might keep her here.

LARA (V.O.) It's an old house. Tragedy is a good guess. Besides, I do have google.

KATHY Grief. It pulls you apart. You want to hold onto them, you want to let go, you want to be...

LARA Nothing, sometimes.

KATHY Yes.

LARA (V.O.) We need stories. It's just how the human brain is wired. So...I make some up.

LARA She's attracted to your grief. She wants empathy, compassion. From someone who understands.

KATHY But how can I help her? When she appears I can't move, I --

LARA You can look her in the eyes. Take three deep breaths. And tell her with your mind that everything will be all right. She can forgive herself. Can you do that?

Kathy is moved, emotional.

KATHY Yes. Yes, I think I can.

LARA (V.O.) Look, I know her type. If I tell her she needs to take care of herself, she's gonna take one bubble bath. But if I tell her there's someone else here who deeply needs her help? She'll do what it takes.

LARA It may take a few visits before she trusts you, but I'm confident you can help each other.

KATHY Yes, I -- thank you. Thank you.

LARA Of course. Now let's perform a few cleansing rituals together. Take my hands...

FADE OUT

INT. LARA'S CAR - LATER

LARA (V.O.) It's not scamming, okay? I'm not a scammer. These people -- they believe it's a ghost. They want a ghost. They are not gonna listen to something that's not a ghost. So fine. Let's say the house is haunted.

A car door opens.

LARA (calling behind her) Okay, thank you! Yep. Nope. Yep. See you later.

LARA (V.O.) Sorry? Oh, did I believe? In what, in ghosts? Um...I...I used to. But it doesn't hold up, you know? And -- and you do this job long enough and you find you get the same results whether you believe in it or not. The thing that actually matters is that they believe it.

A little dog, SODAPOP, crawls over the seat.

LARA Hey, dude. Did you have fun with the babysitter? Are you a good boy? Yeah.

Sodapop pants happily.

LARA (V.O.) Sodapop. World's greatest dog. (chuckles) Rose named him. He was Rose's dog, really. But after everything that happened, um...it just made more sense for me to keep him.

LARA Yeah, bud, let's see if we can hear that voicemail again. Phone?

Blip-bloop!

LARA (CONT'D) Play voicemail from Mitchell Boone.

COMPUTER VOICE No messages found.

LARA What? Okay, um...

(Archie pants and whines throughout this sequence.)

Blip-bloop!

LARA (CONT'D) Play last voicemail.

COMPUTER VOICE No messages found.

LARA No. Okay, let me look at this, um...it's -- why is it not here? (sighs) Okay, uh, let's um... (Blip-bloop!) Phone, um, call Mitchell Boone.

COMPUTER VOICE Calling Mitchell Boone. (beat) I'm sorry. This call cannot be completed.

LARA Okay. Something's going on with my phone, bud! Alright, Sodapop...wanna go for a drive? It's fine, it's only...six and a half hours.

Sodapop jumps up and licks Lara's face.

LARA (laughs) Okay. Alright. Let's go pick up a couple things. Charity, Oregon here we come.

LARA (V.O.) I thought maybe taking him might help? You know, maybe he could find her, or she'd come back for him, or...I don't know, maybe I'd see her, and she'd see him, and....don't look at me like that. It's fine.

INT. LARA'S CAR - LATER

Sodapop whines in the back seat.

LARA I know, buddy. I know. Look, okay, we're almost there! See? Charity, Oregon. Population 5,000. Okay. And AirBnBs...just this one. Okay. I guess this is kind of in town.

The car slows, stops. She opens the door and steps outside.

EXT. JAKE'S HOUSE - AFTERNOON

Trees sway in the wind. We're right on the edge of the forest.

JAKE Hey! Lara opens the car door.

LARA Jake Talbott?

JAKE Lara Campbell. The Lara Campbell.

LARA Uh...

Sodapop barks and scurries out of the car.

JAKE Oh, he's fine. I love dogs. Anyway, like I was saying, you're Lara Campbell, right? The paranormal investigator?

LARA Oh, um, yeah. That's me.

JAKE Do you ever work with cryptids? Because there is a ton of Sasquatch activity out here.

LARA Um...I'm sure there is.

JAKE I'm actually working on a Sasquatch experience. The Squatch Walk? It'll go with my podcast, Squatch Talk. I'd actually love it if you could come take a look sometime.

LARA (overlapping) Where's the room? For my stuff?

JAKE Oh, of course. This way. Come on, Sodapop!

Sodapop makes barks happily and follows. Lara sighs.

INT. LARA'S COTTAGE - MOMENTS LATER

Lara and Jake look around. Sodapop races around the space, sniffing at things.

JAKE So this is it!

LARA Small.

JAKE Cozy.

LARA Right.

JAKE You've got a half-bath and kitchenette -- full shower and kitchen in the main house -- plus bed, desk, wi-fi and power. Watch this front door, the latch kind of sticks.

He jiggles the latch.

JAKE Just play with it a little bit, it'll come right open.

LARA Sure.

JAKE And seriously, if you want to see the tracks or hair that I've found, I would love to show you.

LARA I'm actually just here to see the Boones.

His tone changes. Jake goes quiet, awkward.

JAKE Oh.

LARA You know, because their daughter Rose and I used to work together.

JAKE No. I don't know anything about Rose.

LARA That's fine. I just heard she might be having some trouble, or --

JAKE I don't think we're supposed to talk about this.

LARA About what? Rose? The Boones?

JAKE Yeah, I -- I gotta go. I gotta go. Uh...yeah.

He jiggles the handle again, working the door open.

LARA Jake, what are we not supposed to talk about? Did something happen?

JAKE Yeah, yeah, so, uh, let me know about the Squatch Walk. I'd love to have you. I gotta go.

LARA Wait, Jake --

But the door opens and he beats a hasty retreat.

JAKE Let me know about the Sasquatch!

And he's gone. Lara stares after him.

LARA Well, that was weird.

Sodapop pants happily.

EXT. BOONE HOUSE - EVENING

Crickets chirp. Lara walks up, Sodapop at her side.

LARA Okay, Sodapop, this is the Boone House. Nice.

She laughs nervously. Sodapop whines.

LARA I know, buddy. It's okay. She's -- she's probably here. Yeah. (deep breath) Okay.

She knocks on the front door.

TERRI RUIZ-BOONE (56, a smiling, domineering, terrifying force of nature) opens the door.

TERRI Yes?

LARA Mrs. Boone? I'm Lara Campbell, and --

TERRI Nope.

The door slams shut.

LARA Uh...

She knocks again, louder this time. The door opens.

TERRI I told Rose I wasn't taking that dog.

LARA Oh -- no, Mrs. Boone, we're just here for a visit.

TERRI A visit.

LARA Yeah.

TERRI You want to visit Rose. Lara Campbell.

LARA Yeah...

TERRI Do you know what that girl was like before you? My little girl?

LARA Listen, Terri --

TERRI My friends call me Terri. You can call me Mayor Teresa Ruiz-Boone.

LARA Sure.

TERRI She was going to college, you know? She was so focused. So passionate. And then she met you.

LARA I know, I know.

TERRI And suddenly she can talk to ghosts. Her! A good Christian girl. The preacher's daughter. But you know what? She loved you. You. And I don't get it -- I really don't -- but you know, I tried. I really tried. But then -- you know what you did?

LARA I stopped believing.

TERRI (overlapping) No, you left her. You used her, and you broke her, and you sent her back to me. So no, I don't think she wants to see you right now.

LARA Wait. Can I at least talk to your husband? He said you needed my help.

Terri seems surprised.

TERRI Mitchell? When did you talk to him?

LARA He left me a voicemail message.

TERRI He called you?

LARA He said Rose was missing and I needed to come here.

TERRI When was this?

LARA A couple days ago.

Terri considers this.

TERRI Well, he's not taking visitors.

LARA I really think I should talk to him.

Terri considers. She sizes Lara up, makes a decision.

TERRI You want to see him? Sure. Right this way.

They step into...

INT. BOONE HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

Terri ushers Lara down the hallway. A loud wall clock ticks.

TERRI So this is the dog, huh?

LARA Yeah.

TERRI He house-trained?

LARA Yeah, of course.

Sodapop snorts.

TERRI Hm. They walk down the hall.

LARA So has Rose been, um...is Rose still...?

TERRI Let's talk to Mitchell first, shall we?

They walk into...

THE PARLOR

Where the rhythmic beep of a heart monitor takes over for the clock in the hall. Machines whir. Mitchell breathes, labored. This is the room of a very sick man.

TERRI Mitchell? You have a visitor. Lara stops, taking it all in.

LARA Um... Mitchell mumbles.

MITCHELL Mmm?

TERRI This is Lara Campbell. Lara? Reverend Mitchell Boone. I'll just leave you two to...talk.

LARA Wait, um --

But Terri just walks out. Lara hesitates. She approaches Mitchell, carefully.

LARA Okay, uh...hello, sir. Are you -- you're the one who called me. Right? You were worried about Rose. Sir?

On "Rose," he breathes hard, fast, getting excited. The beeps on the machine speed up.

LARA Sir are you, uh... Mitchell whispers.

His voice is labored, ragged. Speaking takes great effort.

MITCHELL Rose. Find...Rose.

LARA Right. Yeah. What happened? Did Rose leave?

MITCHELL She heard...the sound...

LARA What sound?

MITCHELL She heard...the voice...of God...

LARA Okay, Reverend Boone, just calm down.

MITCHELL Rose is...the key! Please...find Rose...

He starts to cough violently. Machines beep, alarms going off. Terri rushes back into the room.

TERRI Mitchell!

She hits a few buttons. The alarms stop.

TERRI What did you do to him?

Sodapop whines.

LARA Sodapop! Don't -- Mrs. Boone, what's going on with Rose?

TERRI Rose is fine. Mitchell? Honey?

Sodapop whines again.

LARA Has she been hearing things? Voices?

MITCHELL The darkness...nothing...reaching...

He breaks off into coughing again.

TERRI Mitchell. Honey. You need to stop talking.

Sodapop barks and runs out of the room. Lara follows.

LARA Sodapop!

TERRI Hey, don't -- ugh.

But Lara's already disappeared into --

THE HALL

She hurries down the hall.

LARA Now where did that dog...huh.

She opens the door into...

ROSE'S ROOM

And stops. Shocked.

LARA Oh my god. Um, uh...

Sodapop runs around, sniffing. Bloop-blip! Voice recorder on. She speaks quickly, quietly. She's rattled, scared.

LARA Lara Campbell, June 22nd, 3:00pm. -- Pops, don't touch that! -- Audio notes. I'm in Rose's room. And it's...Photos are on the phone.

Sodapop whines.

LARA The whole room seems to be disintegrating. It's crazy I couldn't see this from the outside. All the wood, the windowpanes, the walls, it's like...tissue paper. And there are...drawings. All over the walls. The floor. Under the desk. On top of the desk. It's hard to tell -- Pops, no! -- they overlap each other. The lines are erratic, frantic. When did she draw this? I think they might be animals? But they're...wrong. Too many eyes, all kinds of teeth, it's...

Sodapop sniffs and sneezes at something.

LARA Pops, don't...wait. Is that...Rose's phone?

The door squeaks open. Terri charges in.

TERRI What are you doing?

LARA Terri...what is going on in here?

TERRI You have to get out of here. We don't go in here. Get out!

She grabs Lara and pulls her back into --

THE HALL

She shuts Rose's door, quickly.

TERRI We don't go in there. Do you understand? We don't go into Rose's room.

LARA Mrs. Boone, where is Rose?

TERRI She's...she's camping.

LARA Camping.

TERRI Yes.

LARA And how long has she been camping?

TERRI Two weeks.

LARA Two weeks?!

TERRI Shhh! I just got Mitchell settled.

Lara lowers her voice, but she's just as intense.

LARA Was this before or after she drew creepy hell-monsters all over her room?

TERRI We don't go into Rosa's room!

LARA Mrs. Boone, your daughter goes missing for two weeks...

TERRI She's not missing.

LARA After hearing voices...

TERRI Mitchell doesn't know what he's saying.

LARA And tearing her room apart...

TERRI We don't go in there!

LARA And you don't think to call anyone?

TERRI She's fine! Okay? Everything is fine.

LARA How long has Mitchell been like that?

TERRI You shouldn't be here. You need to go.

She pulls open the heavy front door.

LARA Mrs. Boone...

Lara steps outside.

TERRI Leave. Now. Or I call the sheriff.

LARA That's actually a great idea.

TERRI And take the dog with you.

Terri slams the front door in her face. A beat. The clock ticks. Terri sighs.

TERRI (under her breath) Awful woman and her stupid dog...

Terri makes her way back to Mitchell. His machines hiss and whir.

TERRI You know she's going to catch it now.

MITCHELL (raspy breath) Good.

INT. LARA'S COTTAGE - NIGHT

It's late. Pitch-dark. Rain falls softly outside.

LARA (V.O.) Lara's phone was password-protected. I tried everything I could think of short of locking it forever, um... No, I mean, by the time I got back it was pretty late and, you know, driving all day, it's super dark out there, so...so that brings us to this next part...

Lara is in bed. She snores softly in her sleep. There's a soft knock on her door. Quiet, like someone doesn't want to wake her: knock-knock-knock-knock.

Knock-knock. The same soft knock. Lara sits up. She is tired, confused.

LARA Jake?

She waits a moment. Just when she thinks it's done...knock knock.

LARA Jake? What do you want? It's like three in the morning.

A pause, then knock-knock-knock-knock-knock -- louder, more insistent.

LARA Okay, God, I'm getting up! If this is a Bigfoot thing, I swear...

She clicks on a lamp. Nothing happens. She clicks it a few more times.

LARA Hey, Jake? I think the power's out. None of the lights are --

The knocking changes, coming faster, heavier.

LARA ...Jake?

The room erupts into knocking and banging sounds. Lara cries out, breathes hard, moves around the room.

CRASH! Something breaks the window. It plops onto the floor, wet and amorphous like a pile of spaghetti. Lara screams. The knocks and bangs continue, along with a strange whistling sound. The wet thing moves across the ground in a series of squishy splat sounds.

Lara runs to the door, pulls on it, but it doesn't open.

LARA Come on, come on, come on come on come on --

Lara wrenches the door open and races out into --

EXT. JAKE'S HOUSE - NIGHT

She scrambles over the gravel, turns, and... Nothing. The sounds have all stopped. Just the peaceful rain. Lara waits, breathing hard. But nothing happens.

LARA What...?

The back door to Jake's house opens. Lara jumps.

LARA Ah!

JAKE Lara? What are you doing out here?

LARA Um, I -- I think the power's out.

JAKE Well, all your lights are on...

Lara turns back.

LARA What the hell?

JAKE Are you okay?

LARA I think something...broke my window.

JAKE Oh. Okay. Let me take a look.

They walk across the gravel and grass.

JAKE Did you see what broke it?

LARA Um, no, I...oh my god. Sodapop?

Sodapop comes out. He yawns and shakes off.

JAKE Looks like he was sleeping.

LARA But...how could he...?

JAKE It's okay. I'll check it out.

Jake opens the door and enters the cabin. Sodapop jumps on him happily as he goes.

JAKE Good boy, buddy.

A beat. Lara fidgets in the grass. She stops, seeing something.

LARA (to herself) What...?

Jake calls out from the cabin.

JAKE (O.S.) I think it was just a branch. Lara?

No answer. He steps out of the cabin.

JAKE Lara? What...

He approaches her. Sodapop sniffs around.

LARA Are those footprints?

JAKE Footprints. Oh yeah, oh yeah, those are some giant footprints.

Lara groans.

LARA Oh, god. I'm gonna have to go on a Squatch Walk, aren't I?

FADE OUT

END TITLES

Music box style music plays.

JULIE (V.O.) Thank you so much for listening to the first episode of Believer. This episode was sponsored by Saunders & Associates, LLC, providing medical insurance consulting the beautiful state of Oregon and beyond. Believer is a brand new pod-baby and she needs your help in order to grow. So like, subscribe, review, but most importantly tell someone about the show. Word-of-mouth is how most people find their podcasts, so a recommendation goes a long way. For full credits, transcripts, extended thank-yous, and more information, go to BelieverPodcast.com. Episode 2 comes out on March 17th. Until then, if you hear any strange sounds in the woods, just pay it no mind. It's probably nothing.

Music ends.

END OF EPISODE